Together Alone
by feebee17
Summary: A sequel to A Blue Note Inside Me. The figure of Curtis Jenson still looms large over Sun Hill, affecting Max and Millie's personal and professional lives. Will their relationship survive the repercussions of the case?
1. Prologue

I don't own The Bill.

**Prologue**

Six months after Curtis Jenson had been laid to rest, PC Millie Brown found herself yet again faced with one of those moments she always tried to avoid. She was walking out of the station at Sun Hill to the car with PC Mel Ryder, and she saw DS Max Carter coming towards her. She frantically tried to find a way to get out of having to face him. A trite remark she made to Mel failed to start a conversation, so she tried to think of something else. She pretended to concentrate on an imaginary spot on the brim of her hat. But when it came time for Max to actually pass them, she couldn't help herself but look up at him and catch his eye. With an expression that showed no trace of a smile, Max caught her eye and nodded. Then he smiled at Mel and walked on.

"Gee," said Mel. "After all you went through together with the Jenson case, you think he'd at least smile at you." Millie had never told Mel anything about her relationship with Max, so Mel raised the topic cautiously.

"I guess when you've gone through something like that with someone, it's hard to just be casual with them. I know I find it hard," said Millie sighing.

They hopped into the car, and a big smile came across Millie's face now that she knew Mel couldn't see her. She could feel herself blush. It was just amazing to her that after six months of being with Max both at work and at home, she still found those accidental encounters with him thrilling. Especially exciting were the times in Sun Hill's hallways where they had to pass even more closely, and there was an opportunity for a hand or arm to brush against parts of the other's body. Millie's blush grew deeper as she did up her seatbelt and thought of one time in an overfull briefing room when she had to manoeuvre her way in front of Max, who casually altered his standing position to move his hip forward so that she couldn't avoid but drag her rump against his crotch in order to pass him. Millie nearly swooned at the memory.

"You OK Millie?" asked Mel when she saw the look on Millie's face.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Millie replied. "Now, where are we headed?" The two PCs drove out of the yard, and Mel decided it was best to drop the subject.

DS Max Carter had a big grin on his face as he headed towards the entrance to the station. Those chance encounters at work with Millie really made his day. Apart from the reassurance of laying eyes on his beloved, for whose safety he was constantly in fear, he was aware that them seeing each other unsettled her a lot more than it did him. Teasing her was right up there on his list of Favourite Things to Do with Millie (the non-sexual one). Also, their charade could be used as the starting point for all sorts of erotic play once they were home alone. He thought about Millie running a finger along the brim of her hat just now, and decided to send her a text that said simply 'bring home hat'. Millie, still driving with Mel, received the text and smiled to herself and wondered what he had in store for her tonight.

Max and Millie had returned from their holiday not really intending to keep their relationship a secret, but not actively talking about it either. Although Uniform liked to tease Millie about Max, they treated her with sensitivity in light of her double kidnapping ordeal, so they weren't able to get much out of her. Jo and Co. in CID of course teased Max mercilessly any chance they could, very wrongly assuming that Max could take it because he was the more emotionally resilient of the two. One day it became too much for Max and he snapped at them, saying that although something had happened between him and Millie, they had realised they had just been thrown together by the Jenson incident and had ended things, and he really didn't want to talk about it so could they please just shut the fuck up! No one was really game to raise the topic after that.

This suited Max and Millie in many ways, but the facts of the matter were very different. Max couldn't believe how happy the whole situation with Millie made him. Waking up beside her, listening to her regular breathing while she slept, planning things with her, lounging around the house with her – everything they did just filled him with contentment. And they still managed to be passionate about each other too. Their instinctual physical understanding of each other still amazed him, as he had never imagined he would not get bored having sex with the same woman after a certain amount of time.

The idea of Millie getting her own flat had been actively pursued at first - mainly by Millie - but after a few months without success the subject was simply dropped. Millie had suspected at time that Max's ability to glare at real estate agents or ask really insulting questions about a property might have had something to do with her lack of success. Millie really couldn't tell if Max's sabotage of her efforts was subconscious or deliberate, but either way it was very effective. Gradually the boxes she had packed came out of the attic, and the prevalence of her pictures, knick-knacks, linen etc marked her as a permanent member of the household. Then appeared the things that were not just his or hers, but theirs, in that they chose and bought them together. Max never seemed threatened by all this, but Millie had uneasy feelings about settling down into domesticity so early in a relationship. Even in their happiest of moments, this worry was niggling away at her on some level, making her feel guilty about not striking out for her independence like she felt she should be.

Then, as Autumn set in with the promise of Winter, the idea of cozying up with Max in front of his open fireplace, and spending long Winter mornings in bed simply weakened her resolve. On mornings when she was there alone before working a late shift, Millie liked to sit at the table with her coffee cup in hand, surveying their kingdom. It certainly was a lovely, homey house - far too big for Max to be living in alone. It was hard not to imagine little Max and his cousins and sisters, and even his mother's generation of children, thumping up and down the stairs, laughing and playing as they darted from room to room and into the small but adequate garden area. Millie's mind would wander to the idea of a new generation of children running through the halls, and then she'd snap herself out it and remind herself that things were very new with Max, and these types of thoughts were unwise so early in a relationship.

That night, Millie had been working the afternoon shift, so she got home a lot later than Max. He peeked out the window at her as she got out of her car, and was pleased to see she had obeyed his instructions and brought home her hat. He took the two plates of dinner out of the oven, opened a bottle of wine and sat waiting at the table. He heard Millie's key in the door, and the sound of her bag thumping against the coat stand. Millie looked up at herself in the mirror by the front door, brushed her loose hair behind her ears, and pulled her hat onto her head. She had contemplated entering the room naked except for her hat, but damn it, she was hungry, and she wanted to eat before Max had his wicked way with her. So she stayed in her clothes but paused dramatically in the kitchen doorway before she twirled her way to the chair in which Max sat and hurled herself in his lap. She kissed him, took off her hat and placed it on top of his head.

"Well look at that! It doesn't fit you. Who knew Max Carter had such a big head?"

"Ah, you see I don't have a big head. You just have a dainty little Millie-sized one."

"Is that right?"

"It is."

"I see you haven't eaten either."

"I was waiting for you."

"Well shall we?" Millie jumped off his lap.

"Off you go then," Max slapped her behind playfully as he directed her to her own chair.

"So," said Millie between mouthfulls. "Anything exciting happen today?"

"Nothing much. I saw this very cute PC though, and I must confess to having impure thoughts about her."

"Right, so I'll keep Mel away from you in future, will I?"

"Funny girl. And while I was waiting for you to come home, I was looking around and it occurred to me, do you think we should repaint in here?"

"I don't know, but of course, it's your house."

"Our house, Mill."

"Well, our home. I don't even pay rent!"

"Oh, yes you do, in a way..."

"Meaning?"

"Well I was hoping you'd be making a payment tonight!"

"Using...what's that charming expression of yours, 'nature's credit card'?"

"That's the one!"

"Do you ever think of anything but sex?"

"Not when you're in the room my love."

"Well, before anything else happens, I'm going to have shower."

"Here, I'll come and hold your towel for you."

"You are so good to me."

"I know. I never, ever think about myself!"

"Come on then, towel boy!"

Millie smiled back at Max and reached out her hand which he took and followed her out of the room.


	2. The Ghost of Curtis Jenson

**Millie's Misgivings**

Every now and again, Millie's nights were disturbed by dreams involving the memory of cradling a dying Curtis Jenson in her arms. This memory was disturbing to her for a number of reasons. Firstly, she had worked with the man for several months and during times in which she could forget he was a crime lord and drug dealer, she had really like him and hadn't wanted him to die. Secondly, she had failed to tend to him because she had slipped and knocked herself unconscious, and she was firmly convinced that if she had been able to pay attention to his wound rather than lying uselessly beside him, she might have been able to save his life. And thirdly, because this had been a really big case for her, and because of his dying rather than being brought to justice, Millie always felt like the case had never actually been solved, but rather just cut short because the key figure had gone. She and the rest of her colleagues knew there was still a major crime network out there they hadn't uncovered, and this played on her conscience and her confidence in herself as a police officer.

Another reminder of Curtis Jenson surfaced every time she and Max visited his family, in the hissing of Cleo, the dead man's cat, who had been adopted by Max's mother on Mr. Jenson's death. The animal's rejection really got to Millie, because she loved cats and had never before encountered one that didn't like her, and also because the beast preferred Max's cloying mother to her. But then Cleo was obviously the type of cat that liked to be pampered. She was a fluffy grey Persian that required constant brushing and petting and a special home-cooked diet. As Max tactfully explained to her, his mother loved to baby, whereas Millie liked to give people and animals credit for being able to fend for themselves. That was all well and good, argued Millie, but there was a difference between dislike and the way that animal crouched in waiting for her to turn a corner or sit on a chair then lashed out with vicious claws and teeth. Millie often went home from Max's mother's place with deep scratches or teeth marks on her calves or forearms. On one of her more paranoid days, she imagined that a sly, satisfied smile had crossed Mrs. Carter's face after one such attack. But she dare not express her suspicions about the two of them being in cahoots to mummy's boy Max. He would never believe any ill of his beloved mother, even if it were reported to him by his even more beloved Millie.

Despite Millie's conviction that Mrs. Carter was training the cat to attack her, the two main women in Max's life had a very cordial relationship. It did incense Millie that after one of Mrs. Carter's vast, stodgy meals, Max would go and relax in the sitting room while Mrs. Carter and Millie had to clean up and wash the dishes. Mrs. Carter would keep her there in the kitchen and recount stories of her own and Max's childhoods or offer housekeeping and cooking tips (so that she could do things for Max 'the way he likes them'). When Millie complained about this, Max said it was just the way things were done in his family. Millie's protestations of "But you're her child, I'm the guest!" made Max smile, and say "See, she's welcoming you to the family. You're like a daughter to her!" Millie had kind of wished his response had been more along the lines of "Here, you take a seat, while I go listen to my mother's boring stories", but Max just refused to take the issue seriously.

It had to be said that the main reason Mrs. Carter was on the whole so welcoming of Millie was that she had become increasing worried that her only son was never going to settle down. If, ten years ago, at 25, he had brought home a girl and announced she was living with him and they had no immediate plans to marry, Mrs. Carter would have slammed the door in this floozy's face and cried, prayed and begged her son not to break her heart like this, until he was overcome with guilt and caved in to her demands. But Max was now 35, and at his age bachelorhood was, Mrs. Carter believed, really getting beyond a joke. He hadn't been in the habit of bringing girls to his mother's house before, and although his mother was pretty sure he wasn't celibate, she did worry that perhaps he needed to 'get out more', especially to places where he would meet 'the right type of girl'.

But then there was the day nearly five months ago that he arrived at a family birthday with Millie on his arm. It was immediately clear that Max adored this girl, and Mrs. Carter was greatly relieved to see that his affections were very much reciprocated by Millie. Mrs. Carter was pleased to learn that Millie was nearly 30, which in her day would have been considered old to start a family, but she believed in this day and age was about standard, so it wasn't an issue that Max might be keener to settle down than Millie would be. She immediately started to fuss over the potential mother of her grandchildren. She recommended tablets and supplements that Millie should be taking to prepare her body for pregnancy. She oohed and ahhed at babies on television or magazines, and would grab Millie by the arm and drag her over to look at babies in prams if ever they encountered them when they were out together. She never failed to point out to Millie, when Max was playing with his nephews and nieces, how good he was with children.

Millie tolerated all of this, because she did love Max and she did intend one day to have a family of her own, and most likely with him. And overall she didn't dislike Mrs. Carter and therefore tolerated her character quirks quite willingly. She was however, horrified one day when, after three months of at least weekly hints from Mrs. Carter, the older woman had suggested to Millie that perhaps she should just, you know, let herself get pregnant. She stared in stunned disbelief as Mrs. Carter explained that that way Max would have to get over all the silly issues that were preventing him proposing and marry her. That any mother could so shamelessly work towards trapping her own son was incomprehensible to Millie.

When she mentioned it to Max, however, he just laughed about it and said it didn't surprise him. He then increased Millie's horror over the incident by saying that all mothers actually thought like this, and one day when she, Millie had a grown child, she would be ruthlessly working towards getting grandchildren as well. Millie at first thought he was joking, but then he had explained to her that once a couple had reproduced, the man was relegated forever into second (or third or fourth etc depending on the number of children) place in his woman's affections.

"So if we were to have children, you would forget about me," he said. "That's just the way things are."

Millie was speechless. No wonder Max's relationships until now had never got beyond the casual sex stage! She was sure this probably was the way things were in his parents' marriage, but how then could he explain her parents, who had spent a lifetime of devotion to each other, waiting for their kids to leave home so they could spend even more time together? Whenever Millie's mind wandered to the visions of her and Max's children running through their house, these words of Max's resurfaced in her memory. It seemed to Millie that such an attitude was completely incongruous with the Max that she had got to know, and that she loved. She would have believed the DS Max Carter who bullied or ignored her could have such a shortsighted viewpoint, but having got to know Max as she had, she found herself doubting her memory of the conversation. And therefore she was able to carry on quite happily in the relationship most of the time. But every so often his words came to her, generally at the most inconvenient moments, like when they were in the middle of sex or when she was lying in bed at night looking fondly at him sleeping beside her. At such moments she had to ask herself: Do I really know him at all?

**Manson, Meadows, Max and Millie**

In his role as DI, Neil Manson discovered he seemed to spend a lot more time sitting at this desk than actually out actively pursuing cases. So it was that on this particular day, Neil was once again sitting at his desk when Superintendent Jack Meadows knocked on Neil's door, let himself in and then shut the door behind him.

"Guv, what can I do for you?" said Neil, who was quite frankly grateful for a diversion.

"For starters, you can fill me in on some office gossip. Are DS Carter and PC Brown still an item?"

Neil was surprised, and Jack thought he saw the slight raising of an eyebrow following his question.

"Well, according to DS Carter, anything that was going on has finished, and he expressed this to his colleagues in no uncertain terms. Shame really." Neil added reflectively.

"For once I agree with you, though not because I want to see them happily settled down. You see, this Curtis Jenson business still needs to be sorted out. We're just starting to get some idea as to how far his contacts extended into the police force, and we have some leads that really need following up. Because of this, we need both Max and Millie on board for their insight and experience with Jenson and the case generally. My concern is their personal history might cause tensions between them if they have to work closely together."

Neil looked pensive. "I do trust both their professionalism, but I can see what you mean. But you have an idea?"

"I do. I think we need to get one of them transferred to another station, or more specifically, the station that appears to be the hotbed for Jenson's cronies. Sort of but not quite undercover. Jenson's mates seemed to be mostly from CID…"

"So you want to transfer Max?"

"Precisely."

"I can't see Max not agreeing to that. He doesn't have any ties and he's always up for a bit of an adventure. Plus, I'm sure it would be a relief for him to get some distance between him and Millie. I think he fell for her pretty heavily."

"Yeah, that was the impression I got. Anyway, let me sort a few things out, then you can talk to him. I think the quieter we keep this, the better, so there's no need to mention it until everything's sorted with the transfer."

"Right, Guv. I'll wait for your word before I talk to Max."

"Thanks, Neil."

Jack got up and left Neil alone in his office. Neil rose and looked through the window at CID, and saw Max sitting at his desk apparently deep in thought. Neil concluded that the reason for his solemn expression was the fact that Millie was over at Mickey's desk, laughing and being teased by him and Terry. Poor Max. He really wasn't doing much of job of pretending he wasn't affected by what was going on.

Max was certainly affected by what was going on at Mickey's desk, but not quite in the way Neil had supposed. He was intently watching his Millie putting on a show for him. A wiggle here, a flick of her hair, a hand sliding across the curve of her back, all designed to taunt him about what he was unable to get his hands on at the moment. Max was trying desperately to think of a way that he could perhaps get to touch her, maybe by walking passed Mickey's desk for instance. But Millie was way ahead of him. She managed to knock a stack of files off Mickey's desk, deliberately of course, but she had cleverly disguised this fact by snorting while laughing, which naturally drew all eyes to her face while the hand did its sneaky work.

God, she's good, thought Max as he watched her. And then, to cap off the show, while Terry and Mickey fussed over the files on the floor around her, Millie simply remained standing, but bent forward, allowing him, Max, the full view of her shapely behind. This spoke to Max on so many levels. It was mooning him and saying 'See, I am just as good a tease as you!" It was a red flag to the bull, saying "Come and take me if you dare!"

But Max wasn't one to chicken out. He got up from his desk, made his way over to the others under the pretence of picking up the files, glanced to see who was around, and surreptitiously ran his hand over the curve of her arse on his way down to the floor. Millie turned and momentarily caught his eye, as if to say 'Touchee'. After he picked up the one file, he walked out of CID.

As soon as the commotion was over, Millie made her way out of the room as well.

The others shook their heads.

"Woo, that was tense!" said Terry.

"Yes, poor guy. Did you see the look on his face when he eventually had to just walk out? I'm amazed he lasted as long as he did!" replied Mickey.

"I think the final straw was Millie bending forward. I'd be a broken man too if I had that little arse waved at me like that. There's a view that must have brought back all sorts of happy memories."

"Ah, well I guess Mill is just one of those girls who's not that aware of her effect on men. I remember when we used to go out with Sal and everyone, men would always be coming up to Millie. She just couldn't understand it!"

"Shame it didn't work with her and Max. Still, I think we have her to thank for him being slightly more human! At least it achieved that much," said Terry.

As Millie walked down the stair, her phone beeped to tell her she had a text. It said 'naughty naughty naughty'. She smugly smiled at her little victory!


	3. The Goodbye

**Warning: This chapter contains what we Australians refer to as 'rooting'. *Sigh* there goes my chance of having one story without an 'M' rating!**

**The Mission**

About a week after his discussion with Neil, Jack Meadows came into Neil's office and gave him the all clear to tell Max about his assignment.

"How do you think Max will feel about starting tomorrow?" asked Jack.

"I'll see, but knowing Max, he'll be keen to swing into action straight away," replied Neil.

"How soon can you speak to him?"

"He and Stevie are in court all morning, so it won't be until later in the day."

"OK, let me know how you go."

"Right Guv."

It was nearly four o'clock by the time Max and Stevie returned to the station. Neil called Max into his office in the guise of asking how the court case went.

"Max, can you close the door behind you?" said Neil as he ushered Max into his office.

"Sure." Max shut the door and sat down.

"Actually Max, it's not just the court case I want to discuss with you today. I have an assignment for you."

Max's ears pricked up, "Guv?"

"You more than just about anyone would be aware the Curtis Jenson's death didn't really bring an end to the crime network he was part of. There are still a lot of loose ends that need tying up, a lot of possible corruption to uncover."

Max nodded.

"Well, the Super has told me that certain information has come to light that indicates there is one police station in particular that seems to be connected to Jenson. So he's been given the directive to place a trusted officer at that station via a transfer to gather information. How do you feel about being that officer?"

Max loved a challenge and a break from routine police work. But the foremost thought in his mind on hearing Neil's proposition was Millie. He wondered how she would react and if the transfer would mean relocation and thus leaving her. Then he thought of how happy it would make her to get the Jenson case sorted once and for all. If he could do that, it would almost be like a present for her.

"What would be involved?" Max asked. "How soon would this take place?"

"The Super was thinking tomorrow." Max showed his surprise. "He thought it best not to alert anyone else to your leaving until it was accomplished, and because you don't have any ties, we didn't think this would present too much of a problem for you. You, um, don't have any ties, do you Max?"

Max paused. It didn't feel right somehow denying the connection that existed between him and Millie; the one that made even his independent spirit feel the wrenching of separation from her at just the thought of this. But then professing his attachment might exclude him from the case.

Eventually he responded, "No Sir, I don't."

Neil eyed him closely. "Just in case you're wondering, we have a special assignment for PC Brown too, although hers won't be involving any reconnaissance work like yours."

"It's good that you've got Millie involved," said Max. "She'll appreciate that."

"I think she will. OK then Max, you better go now and tie up any loose ends you have at home. We'll organise a flat nearer to your new Nick. Can you be here at 0700 tomorrow morning so we can have a thorough run down of everything?"

"Guv." Max walked out of the room and prepared to leave Sun Hill.

Max had reached his desk when it dawned on him that Millie was working nightshift tonight, starting at 2000hrs. She was currently home asleep. That gave him just over 3 hours to get home, explain the situation to her, wish her the appropriate farewell before a potentially prolonged parting (i.e. shag her senseless) then allow Millie time to get to work. Max grabbed anything that was of immediately recognisable significance, and rushed out the door. A minute later he returned, having left without his keys.

**The (ahem) Emission**

Max was home by five. He got in the door, put his stuff on the table and raced up stairs to the bedroom to see Millie. She was asleep when he entered the room. He got on the bed and bent down to look at her closely. She looked so serene sleeping peacefully there, unaware of the bombshell he was about to drop. He got closer to her and kissed her lips. She sleepily cuddled into him and nuzzled his face. Max hated waking her when she was about to start work, especially after a week of nightshifts, but it had to be done.

"Millie," he said softly.

"Hmph," Millie opened one eye grumpily.

"Sorry to wake you darling, but…I'm being transferred to another station tomorrow, so we won't be seeing each other for a while."

Max's statement had the desired effect. Millie, who was sleeping on her stomach, pushed herself upwards and stared at him. Max looked lovingly at her bleary eyes and disheveled hair, and reached to stroke her cheek.

"What?" Millie said. "I don't understand."

Max moved towards her and held her in his arms.

"It's Jenson again. They want me to suss out the station where most of Jenson's mates seem to work, so the Super's organised to transfer me there with minimum fuss. This is why it's happening quickly. Oh, and I'll be given a flat to live in."

Millie still wasn't quite registering it all. She scratched her head and said, "Need coffee. I'll splash some water on my face and try and wake myself up a bit. Meet me in the kitchen."

A groggy Millie looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. What had Max just said? He was leaving her? Tomorrow? The reality of what he had told her hit her like a blow. Then the tears started. She couldn't stop herself from thinking he was never coming back. Was it a premonition? Was he going to die? What if in the time they were apart they decided it was better that way, without each other? All the doubts Millie had about their relationship welled up inside her. She was afraid that being alone would allow her all this time to think about things. What if she decided she were better off without him?

Millie felt an overwhelming sense of certainty that this was where their relationship stopped. And it scared her. She didn't want to lose Max. She raced out of the bathroom and ran to the kitchen and threw herself into his arms and held him tight. Max hugged her ferociously back. He felt her hot tears on his shoulder and pulled her back to look at her face.

"Millie, darling," he said brushing away her tears. "It's all right. It won't be forever. I'll be back soon enough and everything will be how it was again. I wouldn't go if I didn't think I was coming back."

"How can you be sure? You could be killed! We could decide…" Millie stopped herself from completing the sentence.

Max was puzzled. "We could decide what?"

Millie gulped and bravely completed her thought. "We could decide we're better off without each other."

Max held her face by the chin and looked into her eyes. He could see her fear. "No," he said. "I won't be deciding that. I'm going to come back here. I couldn't bear…" Max's voice broke here. "I couldn't bear to lose you. I love you."

"I love you too," said Millie as she buried her face on his shoulder. They stood for a few minutes just holding each other.

"Hey," whispered Max. "We haven't got much time. Let's go to bed. Then afterwards we can hold each other and talk."

"Yes," said Millie breathlessly. She wanted to bond with him in everyway possible, including physically. She felt she wanted all of him before she had none.

They started to walk to the bedroom. When they entered the room Millie said, "So, I hope you remembered to go to the shop before coming home to buy…"

"Shit, Millie, I forgot! Damn! I wish you were…"

"I know you, you wish I were on The Pill!" They had had this conversation many times before. Millie would argue that 'her body was a temple' and that she didn't want to expose it long term effects of any medication. And anyway, why should contraception all be down to her! Max would remind her that before she was a police officer she would smoke, drink and take the odd recreational drug, so that line didn't really cut it. But she always stuck to her guns, and Max always weakened as soon as he wanted sex, so it was an argument she always won.

"Simple fact is," said Max despairingly, "it would be a waste of the little time we have left for me to go buy anything."

Millie did some calculating in her head. She had just finished her period, so it was relatively safe.

"You're right. Look, it's a special occasion…"

"Oooo, so we're going to do it au naturel? Excellent." He backed her onto the bed and starting kissing her neck.

"But you are going to withdraw!" Millie said resolutely.

"Anything you say, my love," agreed Max.

He didn't say this facetiously. He was willing to do whatever she said. He took her hand in his own, and kissed it tenderly. Their eyes meet and they paused as if overcome by the incredible momentousness of this union. From then on, every movement seemed significant. Their kiss was deep and had an almost heartbreaking intensity. Their hands worked like they were mapping out each other's bodies, as if memorising every contour, curve and slope. They both knew that they would be living off the memory of this for, well, how ever long it would be before they could be together like this again.

They were each fed by the other's hunger, like there was no getting close enough. They sat facing each other, and somehow eye contact had never before been so important in their lovemaking. All of their senses seemed to be working as if to prove the other person was really there. Every touch, every phrase or epithet uttered seemed particularly tender and poignant. Millie wrapped herself completely around Max and clung to him tightly. She clung to him like she would never let him go. She feared if she loosened her hold he would slip away from her forever. She felt like everything was spinning out of control and letting go meant she or he would be flung out alone into a void. She told herself that as long as she had him securely inside her he would be hers and she didn't have to face the inevitability of losing him. She clung to him and he engulfed her in his arms just as ardently.

And Millie couldn't bring herself to let him go. _I don't want this to end. I don't want to lose him,_ she thought to herself.

Max's voice penetrated through the fog of her melancholic thoughts.

"Millie," he panted, "I think I'd better…"

"No! It's OK," she breathed back at him. "Don't stop! Keep going…"

And they moved together until it seemed to both of them that nothing in the world existed beyond them.


	4. Separation

**The Separation**

It was decided that Max should drive Millie to work so that they could be together for as long as possible before they had to part. Max had one hand on the steering wheel, and the other hand held Millie's or occasionally stroked her cheek or thigh. At various times they leant across and kissed. Neither of them said much. They really didn't know what to say at this point in time. At home, as they lay in bed, they had talked about what they knew so far about Max's assignment, and agreed on the importance of finalising the case that had brought them together. But agreeing on this did not make their parting any easier. Both felt sometimes the right decisions are the hardest to make.

As they drove through the dark of the night, Millie looked at Max's face, which was every so often visible under the street lights. She could see a peculiar expression on his face. He looked worried.

She squeezed his hand. "A penny for your thoughts?"

Max frowned. "I just thinking about something you said before. What did you mean we might decide we're better off without each other? Doesn't us - don't I make you happy?"

"Oh Max, of course you do!"

"Well what did you mean then? Are you thinking of leaving me? Is there someone else? Where can I get you fitted for a chastity belt at this time of night?"

Millie smiled at Max's attempt at a joke. She knew he was trying to cover up his hurt. She decided to tell the truth as far as she diplomatically could. "No, I'm not thinking of leaving you. I love you. And no, there's no one else. I guess what I meant by that was that I'm petrified of something happening to you, that's all. You know how ruthless bent coppers can be."

Max was reassured and it was his turn to squeeze her hand. "I know babe, but I can look after myself you know. Now, we're not far from Sun Hill. Shall we park and have a final snog?"

"Sure."

Max pulled the car over and took off his seat belt. He drew Millie close to him and held her.

"I'll miss this," he said. "I hope we can wrap up this case quickly."

Both Millie and he knew this was very unlikely. It wouldn't be that simple to cut through Jenson's tangled web of connections, especially if there were opposition to the investigation from within the police force itself.

"Do you think there's any chance we'll be able to see each other?" asked Millie.

"I'm hoping so. First chance I get, I'll be calling you," promised Max.

"Hey, what do I say to your mum?"

"Don't worry, she's used to me disappearing like this. She might try and keep you company in my absence though."

"Oh joy! That will make your absence bearable!"

"Have you got something against my mother?"

"No, no, I'm joking," Millie lied again. In this case, complete honesty was just not appropriate. She changed the subject. "Did you enjoy, you know, before?"

"You know I did! It was somehow, I don't know...profound? Did you feel that too? I don't know if it was just coming inside you unprotected. Thanks for that by the way."

"Absolutely my pleasure. But surely you've had unprotected sex before?"

"Yes, but not, you know, with you! I take it, by the way, that you worked out things were safe at the moment, in accordance with those creepy books of yours with the pictures of mucus and stuff?"

"Of course."

"Good. It's funny though...no, I don't know if I should say…"

"Go on, you have to now!"

"OK, but you won't like it."

"Max!"

"All right. When we were… at it, and things had reached the point of, um, no return, I had this incredible desire to, this will upset you, make you pregnant."

"Can you explain that?" Great! So she'd taken a risk and now her fallopian tubes were swimming with sperm on a mission!

"It must be the separation thing. It was like I wanted to claim you as mine I guess, so that no one else would take you from me."

"Claim me as yours? Did you piss on the bedpost as well?"

"Fine, OK, I guess it's some primitive instinct at work. I was just telling you how much it meant to me. I don't like the thought of being away from you." Millie's response to his honest admission of his reactions had left him feeling a little embarrassed and a little hurt too.

"Max, I'm sorry. It's just you surprised me. Gosh, look at the time! I'd better get out and start walking!"

"It's dark Millie, let me drive you a little closer. But I want a really big hug and kiss first."

They engulfed each other with their arms and kissed passionately and tenderly. They knew this was the real goodbye.

Max drove Millie a couple of streets closer, gave her another quick kiss and she opened the car door and stepped out. They took a final look at each other and Millie waved and walked towards Sun Hill.

Max turned the car around, and drove back to the house alone.

**Max Alone**

Max drove back to his empty house and went inside. Everywhere around him were reminders and his and Millie's life here together, the life they had been living for the past six months. He picked up a picture in a frame of him and Millie together. He remembered the night well. It was Millie's birthday and he had taken her out to dinner. It had been a warm summer night, and they had walked along the river afterwards. Millie had been in a particularly good mood, and was laughing and even skipping and dancing as they followed the riverside path. She had turned to him smiling, red hair streaming behind her, as she held his hand and swung his arm, trying to get him to skip along beside her. She had looked so beautiful at that moment, and so cute when he refused her request and she pouted and teasingly accused him of ruining her birthday. Then he had grabbed her by the hand and pulled her towards him and kissed her. Someone had come to sit on a bench near where they were standing, and when Millie took out her camera and threatened to take Max's picture (something he hated) this person had offered to take their photo. It had turned out to be the best photo of them together, so here it was, framed and in pride of place on their mantelpiece.

Still with the picture in his hand, Max sat on the couch and looked at it closely. Millie was absolutely beaming in that picture. She had had a bit to drink of course, and night time in the city always made her just a wee bit crazy and hyperactive, but it made Max think how happy they were together. That meant he made her happy, didn't it? The fear that something was wrong had for the first time entered Max's head the moment Millie had uttered those words "we might decide we're better off without each other". What did she mean by that? Did it mean she had doubts? Max asked himself how he felt, and he knew he had no doubt about things at all. He loved her, simple as that, and he wanted them to be together. Was it necessary to always analyse these things? Couldn't they just continue as they were and let things just fall into place?

Max thought about his confession of how he felt when they were having sex. He should never have told her that. He didn't understand what he felt anyway. It was just a desire to merge, a desire to create and possess. Millie's reaction was probably a hormonal thing. She was nearly thirty after all, and she'd soon enough be nagging him for babies, he was sure of it. She probably just got her first inkling that perhaps he might be willing to breed with her, that's all. But that was something Max didn't really want to think about at all.

He got up off the couch and replaced the picture. Better get some clothes and things organised before trying to get some sleep in that big empty bed. He went into the laundry to put on some washing, when the phone rang.

"Hello."

"It's me. I got a moment by myself and I thought I'd see how you were doing?"

"I miss you already. I was even looking at the picture of us on your birthday, sobbing."

"Don't lie to me, you don't sob! But I'm touched you miss me. I miss you too. God this is going to be hard!"

"It will all be worth it in the end. We're going to close the Jenson case for good. And maybe when we're finished, we can see about fixing this place up a bit. How would you like that? I'm sure you're full of ideas."

"I would love that Max. Listen, I can see Smithy on his way here, so I'd better go. I love you."

"I love you too. Bye for now."

"Bye."

Max had told the truth when he said he did miss her already. This was the first time in his career when the prospect of undercover work, or at least a diversion from the daily humdrum of work, didn't have him chomping at the bit. Maybe he was getting old, he sighed. Of maybe giving in to your feelings for someone just robbed you of your sense of adventure. Max went back to the laundry and told himself that once he had slept and was discussing the case with DI Manson, he'd get his enthusiasm back. He picked up a lacey, midnight blue camisole of Millie's and held it up fondly. No wonder he could think of nothing but her with things like this everywhere to remind him! Max put it down, took the washing from the machine and shoved it in the dryer. He got ready for bed. Maybe he could go in really early and see if he could catch one last of glimpse of Millie while she was still on her shift? He got into their big empty bed and decided he would be using her pillow tonight. He fell asleep happily drinking in the smell of her hair.


	5. Parallel Lives

**Bizarro Sun Hill**

At 1300hrs the next day, Max found himself walking through the doors of his new Nick. The hair on the back of his neck bristled as the automatic doors snapped closed behind him. There it was finally – that sense of anticipation he always felt at this point of a new assignment, at that first step into the unknown. He sniffed the air like a bloodhound picking up a scent. His mission had begun.

The front desk seemed the logical first port of call. It was unattended, so Max leaned forward over the counter to see if he could spot anyone in the immediate vicinity. There was a swinging door that had obviously just been used. Max couldn't believe his eyes. As it swung back and forth he could have sworn he could see Millie, or at least her hands and her hair, which were working together to refasten a bun that had obviously come loose. He kept looking through the swinging door at the red hair until eventually the head to which it belonged turned, and he could see the owner of the hair. His heart sank, because even though he knew it couldn't be her, a part of him had still hoped. The owner of hair was very much not his Millie. She had, however, caught his admiring glance, and was giving him an equally admiring one back. Max shuddered and looked away.

Whilst he was in the middle of this reverie, a tall, dark haired, not quite young man in an Inspector's uniform came up to the front desk. Max thought from his upright stance and gait that he was probably ex-military. He saw Max and nodded.

"You'd be the new Detective Sergeant, I presume?" Max could tell from this guy's stilted, precise speech that his ex-military hunch was probably correct.

"Yeah, I'm DS Max Carter," Max held out his hand, which the other man shook welcomingly.

"Inspector Dave Jones, but everyone calls me Jonesy. I'll get someone from CID to come collect you." Jonesy walked through the swinging doors, and Max heard him talking to someone.

"Ah Will, your new detective sergeant is here. Can you take care of him from here?"

"Sure."

Jonesy returned to the front office and Max was stunned to see that by his side was none other than DC Will Fletcher.

"Max!" Will held out both his hands to give Max a warm handshake.

"Hi Will," Max returned the handshake, but with rather less enthusiasm. Max had never quite forgiven Will for having sampled the delights of his Millie before she and Max were together. As a result Max always regarded Will's subsequent friendship with Millie with a tad of suspicion. It hadn't registered until now that this was Will's new station.

"Of course! You two are both ex-Sun Hill, so you'd know each other," said Jonesy. "I see I chose the right man for this job. I'll leave you to it." He left Max and Will alone.

"How's Mill?" whispered Will. "I hear the official line is that you and she are not together?"

"That's right, but you obviously know otherwise," said Max. "Of course, I realise you and Millie are in touch…"

"Yes, we're still good friends," said Will, with emphasis on the word 'friends'. "By the way," he added under his breath, "I know why you're here and I'm still in touch with Jack as well. Let's have lunch or a drink later and debrief."

"Sounds like a good idea," said Max grudgingly.

"I presume you've got a flat?"

"Apparently. Haven't been there yet."

"Anyway Max, welcome to Bizarro Sun Hill."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see mate, you'll see. As a taster, you just met the station's Smithy."

"I knew he reminded me of someone! So are there more of these 'clones'?" Max looked skeptical as the walked up the stairs to CID.

"There are. Neil, I mean, our DI is in his office," Will tapped on the door, "Sir, this DS Max Carter."

The DI, who had been leaning back in his chair, hands folded with index fingers pressed up against his mouth, looked up at Max across his desk. "Welcome Max," he responded. He was a straight-faced, youthful looking man with a twinkle in his eye and a slightly smoothed over Northern accent, "I'm DI Ian Sutcliffe."

"Pleased to meet you sir," said Max, who was beginning to see what Will meant.

"You're officially starting tomorrow, aren't you? I've got a full plate today, so if you don't mind, I'll leave it to Will to show you around." said Ian.

"Right Sir, see you tomorrow."

Max looked over at Will, who had a big smile on his face. "At last, someone to share the joke with! What until you meet the Super!"

"I thought the Super here was a woman."

"She is," responded Will mysteriously.

Max had a rather frightening vision of Jack Meadows in drag. Then something else occurred to him. "Hey, actually, I think I got a glimpse of the station's Millie before!"

"Oh yes, I had been meaning to keep her as a surprise. Not quite as tasty as our Millie but…"

"Have you slept with her?"

Will looked embarrassed. "Um yeah. My first night here."

"You're kidding. What's her name."

"You won't believe me…"

"Go on!"

"Her name," said Will, " Is PC Mollie Bryan."

**Bizarro Max**

The day after Max had started at his new station, DS Matt Cooper entered the front doors of Sun Hill station. The counter was momentarily unattended. He was wondering if he should ring the bell, but then the double doors leading into the office swung open and there stood a tall, dark hard haired man in an Inspector's uniform. Matt's eyes were quickly diverted from him at the sight of the young woman to whom he was talking. She had an abundance of red hair, which she presently wore in a tight bun, with a few wisps of fringe loose at the front. She appeared to be slim and graceful. She glanced for a moment at him, before walking away and leaving the Inspector to deal with the newcomer.

_Hello baby!_ Matt thought to himself. _Wait til I get my hands on you…_

"Can I help you?" Smithy asked.

"I'm DS Matt Cooper,"

"Ah, the new DS. Pleased to meet you. I'm Dale Smith, but they call me Smithy."

The two men shook hands.

"CID is up the stairs there, or do you want me to get someone to show you the way?" said Smithy.

"No that's OK, I'll find the way. Nice to meet you, Dale."

"Likewise." Matt made his way up the stairs.

He walked through the doors of CID, where the first person he encountered was Stevie.

Stevie smiled and said, "DS Cooper, I presume? I'm DS Stevie Moss."

"Good to meet you Stevie, call me Matt."

"All right Matt. These are some of our other colleagues, all DCs; Terry Perkins, Mickey Webb and Grace Dasari."

Matt shook hands with everyone. Everyone noted how friendly he was. What a contrast, they were all thinking, to Max!

"So," Matt said to his two new male colleagues, "Can anyone tell me who that Titian beauty in uniform is?"

Terry and Mickey looked confused.

"He means Millie," whispered Grace. "Titian painted redheads."

"Millie?" said Matt.

"Yes, PC Millie Brown. She actually used to go out with your predecessor. Thinking of taking over more than just his desk and locker eh?" said Terry, with a nudge.

"Consider it my second mission here, after fighting crime," said Matt, standing with his chest thrust forward and hands on his hips.

Grace and Stevie looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Both were thinking that all he need was tights and a cape.

"I miss Max already," whispered Stevie.

"Me too," replied Grace.

Millie had finished her spell of nightshifts and had had to endure two sleeps alone in her and Max's bed. Sleeping there alone wasn't unusual, as Millie often had to alter her sleeping patterns to accommodate her changes of shift, but she was feeling Max's absence keenly. In the early morning of the day Max left Sun Hill, he had surprised her by turning up in the canteen, just when she thought she'd said goodbye to him forever. It was all she could do to stop herself jumping out of her seat beside Leon and throwing herself into Max's arms! They had found a quiet corner for quick kiss and embrace, but Millie had greeted his suggestion of a quickie in one of the cells with nothing but a wry smile. But now he was gone, well and truly, and the only contact she'd had with him had been via Will's phone. Max was petrified of contacting her using anything connected with him in case he was captured by Jenson's goons and they tracked down Millie through him. Millie was so happy that Will was there to keep her informed of what was going on. Max had his usual issue about working with Will as he was an ex-lover of hers, but Millie could also see that Max was really beginning to appreciate Will's presence and position as his confidant.

Millie had been sorting through some CCTV footage for CID when she managed to track down a vehicle they had been hunting in connection with a case. She phone Terry to come have a look, and he came into the room with the new DS in tow.

Millie's first thought when she had a proper look at Matt Cooper was "Whoa, he's gorgeous!" Tall, dark haired, dreamy blue eyes and a powerful looking body that he obviously took several times a week to the gym. But apart from the initial impact of her first inspection of him, he didn't tempt her at all. She could tell straight away, however, that he was directing all his charm well and truly at her.

"Millie, this is DS Matt Cooper. Matt, PC Millie Brown," said Terry.

Matt reached out for Millie's hand and held it just a little too long. Terry looked at the ceiling and whistled.

"DS Cooper," nodded Millie coldly, determined to put him in his place. She showed them both the footage of what she had found and Terry filled Matt in a little on the case.

"So this is the vehicle we've been looking for? Excellent! Good work, PC Brown!"

Millie hadn't really been paying attention to what Matt was saying, but she started when she heard this.

"Excuse me," she said to Matt. "Did you just call me a good girl?"

Matt looked horrified. "Good Lord no! I would never say anything so patronising to a colleague, any more than I call DC Perkins here a good boy! That would be completely unprofessional!"

Millie sighed, and had to confess to herself she felt slightly disappointed. "Sorry Sir, I must have misheard you."

"That's all right. I'd expect a strong reaction from anyone who thought I'd said something like that! Hey, what say I make it up to you by buying you a coffee some time?"

_I see_, thought Millie. _A throw away line is sexist and inexcusable, but hitting on a subordinate? No drama. Nice._

"Thanks Serge, but no thanks." Millie smiled, endeavouring to brush the question aside rather than turning it into a big deal.

"Oh well, another time perhaps. Thanks Millie."

Terry and Matt walked back to CID together.

"Boy, you don't waste any time do, you?"

"Ah, Terry, my theory is, a woman like that's not going to be on the market too long."

"Shame she turned you down," Terry smirked.

"No problem. Matt Cooper loves a bit of a challenge. It makes the victory all the more sweet."

Terry reflected on the fact that all the male DSs he'd worked with here had been tossers. He was starting to think he preferred Max's arrogance to this guy's egotism. Poor Millie, he thought. Out of the frying pan…


	6. Max's Chapter

The canteen scene is for MrLala and Mr Feebee

**Max's Chapter**

Max Carter stood at the end of the canteen queue waiting in line for his morning coffee, or maybe even a little breakfast. The nights without Millie were really taking their toll on him. At his flat in the evenings, away from the distraction of work, he found that his major preoccupation was imagining what Millie was doing at the precise moment he was thinking of her. Every night, after the picture in his head of her alone at home in their bed had ceased to obsess him and he finally drifted off to sleep, he would manage to sleep for only about an hour, and then wake to the depressing realisation she wasn't there with him. It was amazing to him that only seven short months ago he had lived a perfectly comfortable life without her. Now even a night without her seemed heart-wrenching.

It was only five days since he'd seen her, but already Max seemed to feel tired and nervous most of the time. He glanced around the canteen to ensure that the other reason for his uneasy state wasn't around. Millie's inferior lookalike, PC Mollie Bryan, had firmly set her sights on Max, and was making no secret about it. Everywhere he turned, it seemed that she was there. They had worked on the same case twice, and both times she ensured she got the seat next to his at briefings. If she ever had paperwork to pass onto him (and somehow all the paperwork from Uniform did seem to arrive via her) she would sneak up behind him and he would only be make aware of her presence by her breath on his neck and the feeling of a breast being pressed up against his back or arm. And the thing was, although she had a passing resemblance to Millie, Max absolutely detested her. He contrasted her forwardness in making her interest felt to the shy, stolen glances of his Millie before they were together. He smiled and thought how lucky he was to have her. Now he just had to ensure that he could keep her.

Someone took their place in the queue behind Max. _Oh God, please not her!_ he thought to himself. He was relieved to turn and find Will standing behind him.

"Morning Max, figured I'd come over and protect you."

"What do you mean?" asked Max.

Suddenly there it was, that breast being pressed against his arm. _Here we go, _thought Max to himself.

"Morning boys," said Mollie, removing herself from Max and linking arms with both him and Will. "God, I'm famished this morning. You know what I've got a hankering for?"

Max could see she was waiting for an answer, and Will raised his eyebrow, daring Max to give it. "What?" he sighed.

"I fancy a bit of sausage. Thick, juicy - possibly continental – sausage. Any idea where I can get my hands, or mouth, on that particular piece of meat?" Her face was inches away from Max's and her eyes stared at him unflinchingly.

Max found himself holding the tray protectively in front of his crotch. "I…think…they, um, serve sausages here," he said nervously.

"I hope there are enough of them. You're first in the line of course, so you get first choice of breakfast. Unless," Mollie eyed him significantly again, "you were prepared to give me your sausage."

"None of the sausages are mine, I have no interest in them," said Max, wishing that the queue would move faster so he could buy his coffee and run.

Mollie eyed off Will, "You know some mornings, I'm hungry enough to handle two sausages in one go…"

Will and Max were dumbstruck. Thankfully, Max found himself at the head of the queue.

"Well, see you later," Max paid for his coffee and fled, with Will following close after.

"Keep walking, don't look back," muttered Will as they turned their back on Mollie.

Max shook his head, "I can't believe you fucked her. What were you thinking?"

"I was very drunk. I wasn't thinking. Let's grab those two seats over there where's there's no room for her."

"Good plan."

Max noticed Mollie look in their direction, shrug her shoulders and then take her tray to another table. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mate, you look like crap," said Will. "I know you and Millie are happy, but surely you can cope more than a couple of days without her!"

"Did Millie say she was happy?" This question had played on Max's mind ever since their final night together.

Will was a bit surprised. "Max, according to her you're deliriously happy, and no other sex she's had in her life comes close to doing it with you, which I must say I found rather insulting. Why? Aren't you happy?"

Max was rather chuffed about the sex comment. He liked to see Millie had been putting Will in his place. "I'm completely happy. It's just some stupid comment Millie made."

"What did she say?"

"She just implied that we can't be certain our relationship will survive this separation, that's all."

"That just sounds like Millie being Millie to me. Over-analysing everything as usual. I wouldn't worry."

"Oh, I wasn't overly worried," said Max, hating himself for being comforted by Will, of all people!

"You just missing the fantastic sex then?" said Will with a laugh. "I think you're being a bit too strict with this no contact business."

"I just don't want them to use Millie to get to me. Why put her at risk?"

Will smiled. "When Mill first told me she slept with you, I told her she was crazy. But I can see that you're really doing you're best to look after her. You really love her."

"Thanks, it's always good to have the ex's blessing," said Max sarcastically.

"Why don't you go visit her? Remember," Will lowered his voice here, "To everyone else's mind, you've just transferred, you're not undercover. You're still Max Carter. You still have the same ties, and she is at your house after all. And none of the baddies would be thinking you're onto them yet."

Max could see the sense in Will's suggestion, and it cheered him up. "True. We'd better get off to the briefing now. I finally get to see this female Jack Meadows."

"She's worth seeing too. She's slightly old for me, but I tell you, she's hot!"

"So why is it you are still in touched with Jack exactly?"

"You may mock, but you'll see," said Will.

They walked into the briefing room, where other members of CID had already assembled. Max nodded to his new DI, Ian Sutcliffe, who was talking to a serious looking woman with dark hair.

"Grace?" whispered Max to Will with a smile.

"Faith." replied Will.

"Figures," replied Max.

"You want to know my theory on who you should be suspicious of around here?" Will said quietly.

"Go on," said Max.

"Suspect anyone who you can't identify as being like someone from Sun Hill."

"Gee, thanks Will. I see you take a scientific approach to detective work."

"Mark my words…"

The murmuring in the room came to a stop as a tall middle-aged woman entered the room with the clicking of her far from sensible heels. Superintendent Jill Lees made her way up to the front of the room. Max saw at once what Will meant when he described her as 'hot'. Her figure was what could only be described as hourglass. She wore a tight skirt with a slit at the side, clinched at the waist with a thick leather belt. The only thing preventing her abundant cleavage from spilling out from the top of her red satin shirt was a very determined little pearl button, and it looked ready to burst at one false move. Her long legs were encased in very expensive and very sheer black stockings. The most striking thing about her, however, was that she made absolutely no effort to make herself seem any younger than her mid-fifty years. Her hair was proudly grey and tied in a loose bun, and her face made expressive by the lines around her eyes and mouth.

Max turned to Will and said out the side of his mouth, "I think you a bit off there. She's more Jo than Jack, if you know what I mean…"

"Just wait until she talks," said Will, turning to Max, then nudging him with his elbow. "And I'd stop making the 'big tits' hand gesture if I were you!" Max hadn't realised what he was doing and quickly dropped his hands. It was so easy to fall into blokishness in a situation like this.

Jill Lees stood at the whiteboard with her hands on her hips, looked at those assembled and waited. It didn't take long for everyone to fall under the spell of that penetrating stare and the room was suddenly silent, Will and Max included.

"All right everybody, listen up," she said, in a deep, throaty Yorkshire accent. Max at last saw what Will meant. The tone of her voice and her mannerisms, which were oddly masculine for such a womanly woman, were very reminiscent of their Super at Sun Hill.

Max listened to her talk about a lot of cases and events that hadn't really involved him, but his ears pricked up at the mention of the work some members of the team were undertaking involving records and log books from one of Curtis Jenson's business ventures. He looked around the room at those assembled to gauge any particularly striking reactions to what she was saying. He couldn't believe it when he heard himself saying in his head, _No, the DI's too much like Neil to be involved, and that guy's too much like Terry. _Damn Will for putting these stupid notions in his head!

The Super came to end of her briefing, "and this week we welcomed DS Max Carter to our team. Max, if I can see you in my office after this briefing? Thanks everyone." Jill Lees walked out of the room briskly, and Max and Will couldn't help but check out that wiggling bottom as it made its way out of the room.

"If I get one thing out of my time at this station," said Max, "it will be the inability to ever look Jack Meadows in the eye again."

"Come along with me, Max," gestured the DI as he passed them out of the room. "You can come too, Will."

The three men made their way down the corridor to the Super's office. Along the way they were met by Faith, to whom Max was officially introduced. They went into the office and shut they door.

Jill Meadows was standing by the window when they entered. She motioned her hands to indicate that they should take seats. She held out her hand to Max to shake.

"DS Carter, it's good to meet you officially and welcome you, albeit temporarily, to our team. Oh don't worry, everyone in this room knows why you're here. I am good friends with Jack Meadows and we're in regular contact. And I completely trust Ian and Faith on this matter too. Now, this Jenson business..." the Super shook her head, "well, I find it a real blight on my station. You'd be aware, of course that DS Mal McGovern, the Jenson informant who was captured when Jenson died, was not from this station, but various other indicators, mobile phone records and the like, show that Jenson made calls to and received calls from this location from many different unidentified numbers.

"Now, Max, if you don't mind me calling you that," here she smiled, "I understand you were actually witness to Jenson's death, along with a... " she opened a file that lay on her desk, "a PC Millie Brown. Is that correct?" At this point, Max watched as Jill pulled out a photo of Millie, smiled, and pointed it out to Ian and Faith, both of whom smiled in response. "Looks just like Mollie!" the Super said to them under her breath.

"Yes Ma'am, both PC Brown and Jenson were unconscious on the floor when DC Fletcher here and I arrived on the scene." Max looked down at the photo of Millie sadly while he spoke. God he missed her!

"And I understand the case is a bit personal too, because you and PC Brown were in a relationship at the time when Jenson shot himself in front of her? Do you think you can still be objective despite this? Superintendent Meadows and DI Manson trust your judgment, but I want to be sure."

"I assure you, I will be completely professional," Max replied.

"Good to hear. Well, we have our suspicions as to who the officers in question here might be, but I'd be interested to see who can suss out by yourself first, just to get a detached viewpoint if you know what I mean. Can we discuss our findings in a week's time?"

"Guv," nodded Max.

"Excellent. In the meantime these three worthy officers will offer you any help you need. Thanks everyone."

With a wave of the red fingernails and rings of her hand, the Superintendent dismissed them.


	7. Millie's Chapter

**Millie's Chapter**

PCs Mel Ryder and Nate Roberts were sitting in the canteen at Sun Hill station talking to the newly uniformed Sergeant Jo Masters, and DS Stevie Moss and DC Terry Perkins. They were discussing the latest addition to the CID team.

"He is SO gorgeous," said Mel, whose mouth was virtually watering. "Those piercing eyes, the cute bum…"

"The kind of body I could happily eat my breakfast off every morning," sighed Stevie. "It's just such a shame…"

"...that he's a complete knob?" Terry completed the sentence.

"Yeah," conceded Stevie.

"I haven't even really met him yet," said Jo. "But I'm not liking what I've seen so far."

"Of course you haven't met him, he looks down on us in Uniform. The only one he talks to is Millie," said Nate.

Terry and Stevie looked at each other knowingly. "You know, the very first question he asked when he started was about her. In fact, what was it he said Terry? She was his second mission 'after fighting crime.'"

Jo snorted out a laugh. "Superman, is he? And what does Millie think of him?"

"When he asked her out, the first time he spoke to her, mind you, she turned him down," said Terry.

"I don't think she's over the Max thing yet," confided Mel. "Not that she's ever said anything, but I've noticed she goes out of her way not to have to face him."

"What did happen there? Does anyone know?" asked Stevie. "I know Max said they realised they were just thrown together by circumstance, but do we believe that?"

"Not for a moment," said Jo. "But here's Millie now. Shall we ask her?"

"No," said Terry firmly. "That's between her and Max."

"You can be a real gentleman sometimes, can't you?" teased Stevie, pinching his cheek.

"Hi Millie," called Mel.

Millie made her way over to the table. "Hi everyone. Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all, but me and my PCs here are actually on our way out now," responded Jo. "Come on you lot. And Millie, don't forget you're meeting with DI Manson in 15 minutes."

"I hadn't forgotten," smiled Millie. Their meeting was of course about Curtis Jenson, and where the case would go from here. The idea of working on the same case as Max appealed to Millie because it somehow made him seem close to her again.

Nate, Mel and Jo left the table.

Terry smiled up at Millie, "We were just talking about our new DS."

"Really." Millie was completely uninterested in this topic. In fact, apart from her reaction to their first conversation, she'd hardly noticed him at all.

Stevie, who was never one to shy away from anything added, "We all agree he's not much of a replacement for Max."

This comment made Millie's expression noticeably wistful. "No, he's no replacement for Max at all."

Terry looked at his watch, "Hey, we've got to go, Stevie, see the time. See you upstairs soon, eh Millie?" Terry touched her arm sympathetically.

Millie took over the table and sat alone with her tea. How could anyone be a replacement for Max? She reminded herself that his absence was supposed to be the time when she was working out if the relationship was working for her, or more specifically if she should bother staying with a man who thought she was ultimately only interested in him for his seed. This meant things were bound to turn bad between them, didn't it? Was the happiness she felt with Max foolhardiness?

She looked at her watch. Still ten minutes to go before her meeting. She could have used a distraction, but it seemed like everyone she wanted to talk to had somewhere else to be.

"PC Brown," a voice said. "Mind if I join you?"

Millie looked up to see DS Cooper standing over her. What could she say? "Of course not," she said.

Matt sat himself in the chair beside Millie, who cradled her cup and stared ahead. He turned towards her. "Say, I wanted to apologise for the other day. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.

Millie smiled, but continued to stare into the distance, "Don't worry about it, it's fine."

"I heard that you're not long out of a relationship, with the DS who was here before me. Is that right? I guess that means you're looking for some time to yourself before you'd even think of doing something like having coffee with a stranger, right?"

This time Millie turned towards him and looked at him. God, his eyes are blue, she thought. They held her gaze a lot longer than she was comfortable with. She could feel herself blushing from the intensity of the stare. She had thought this man had nothing that would tempt her away from Max, but under his gaze she felt vulnerable, exposed. She had a creepy feeling, almost like she had just been hypnotised.

"Thanks Sarge, I appreciate what you're saying. And thanks for being understanding. I have to go now. I've got to meet DI Manson, so maybe I'll see you later." She got up to leave.

"Ah yes, the Jenson case. Still hanging over us all. I'd really like to get involved in that investigation, so if you can put in a good word for me…" Matt said with a wink.

"Sure Sarge," she said, as she got up. She thought to herself, _No way, Jose. You're far too dangerous! _

Matt keenly watched as Millie walked away. He thought to himself, _You're weakening, honey._ _It's only a matter of time…_

Meanwhile, Terry and Stevie were in Neil Manson's office, already discussing how Sun Hill was going to handle its side of the aftermath of the Jenson situation. Naturally they agreed that Millie's expertise was vital to their investigation.

"What do you think of getting DS Cooper involved?" Neil asked them.

Terry and Stevie shrugged.

"I get the impression you don't much care for him," Neil said, picking up on their hesitation.

"Let's just say, I'd ask Millie how she felt about him being involved first," replied Stevie.

"Because of his replacing Max?" enquired Neil.

At this point Mille knocked and entered the room.

"Millie," Neil nodded at her. "We were just discussing the possibility of involving DS Cooper in this case. How would you feel about working alongside him?"

Millie pursed her lips and tried to find a way to put this tactfully. Then she decided she'd tell it like it was. "No Sir, I wouldn't like it. He makes me uncomfortable, because, I don't know, I think he likes me, and he's quite aggressive about it."

Terry spoke up in support of her. "I can see why she feels like that Sir. He's coming on pretty strong."

Neil acquiesced. "Fine, OK, no Cooper on the case then. Millie, do you want us to do something about his behaviour in general?"

"No, no Sir, please don't make a fuss. I think it's best just to ignore it."

"It's your choice, but just say the word if you change your mind."

"I will. Thanks."

Driving home that night, Millie reflected that she rather liked working with CID. Everyone she knew there seemed nice and even fun to work with. The absent member of the team and his 'replacement' then flashed into her mind. She was relieved in a way that Terry thought Matt was making a play for her, because she was worried she had been overreacting or reading him wrong. Now she had no doubt about it. He was interested in her and was going to be relentless in his pursuit of her. The first time she met him she regarded this as little more than annoying, but after their eyes had locked today, she knew she was weakening against him. And she didn't want to. Hell, she didn't even like him! So why was she beginning to feel so helpless against him? There was no doubt he was very attractive, but so what, there were many attractive men out there. Perhaps it was just because she was feeling lonely. If only Max were here, she thought, she wouldn't be having these feelings. But then again, she wondered, would she?

She thought about the lonely evening she had ahead of her. It had been a week now, and she just couldn't get used to being without Max. And to make things worse, tomorrow was Saturday, and she had the day off. She told herself that tomorrow would be the day she would devote to thinking about her life. She had no work and no Max to distract her. The one thing she did want to do, later that morning, was audition for a part in an amateur musical theatre production she had seen advertised. She hadn't done anything musical since the Jenson incident, and she was really missing it. And, as she didn't know how long Max would be away, or how she would feel about him when he returned, she felt she needed something to fill in the time.

She got in the front door just in time to answer the phone. It was Mrs. Carter.

"Hello darling, where's my son?"

"He's away for a while, actually, on a case. Not sure how long."

"So you're there all by yourself, poor thing. You can always come here, you know if you get lonely. Plenty of your nieces and nephews to play with…"

"Thanks for the offer, but I've got an appointment tomorrow. Anyway, hope you're well."

"I am thank you darling. Cleo says hello. Cleo! Say hello to Millie." Millie could have sworn she heard a hiss in the background when Mrs. Carter said her name.

"Hi Cleo. Look, I'd better go. I'll try to come by next weekend, OK?" Millie lied, knowing full well she was rostered on both days.

Millie hung up. It struck her as funny how Mrs. Carter asked absolutely nothing about where Max was, or if the case were dangerous etc. She couldn't understand that family at all. She knew Mrs. Carter would be kicking herself if she realised that there was nothing like talking to her very self to tilt Millie towards the decision to end things with Max. Just hearing that woman's voice reminded her how Mrs. Carter had tried to persuade Millie to entrap Max, and how when she had reacted against the idea in his defence, he had had the nerve to defend his mother!

Somewhere from deep inside her handbag she could hear the sound of her mobile phone buzzing, telling her she had a call. She grabbed her bag and searched frantically, digging down to the bottom of the bag just in time. The name lighting up on her phone was Will.

"Hello," Millie answered.

She heard a deep sigh, then a voice said, "Hey."

"Max! Where are you?"

"I'm at Will's and he's letting me use his phone. How are you my love?"

"Tired after a long week. How are you?"

"Missing you. Being hunted down by your double at work."

"Ah, Mollie Bryan!"

"Will told you about her?"

"Ages ago, when he slept with her."

"Well, the first time I saw her hair I convinced myself she was you and she caught me looking. Now I spent my whole time at work trying to avoid encountering her. Kind of the opposite of us at work really."

"My poor love!"

"Anyway Mill, Will is listening in to us here, so I'll cut to the chase. I was thinking it might be OK to visit you tomorrow…"

"Really! Yes please! It's not too risky?"

"I wouldn't think so at this stage. No one would be interested in following me yet. So, if I come by about 3ish? We can have dinner, watch a movie and … whatever?"

Millie heard Will cough in the background.

"That sounds great. I see you later then."

"Yes, see you then."

Millie sighed. Her plans to spend the day contemplating her future would have to be put on hold. And although she didn't want to admit it, she was feeling relieved!


	8. A Mallie Interlude

**Warning, contains nudity, lingerie, swearing, alcohol - all the good things really**

**A Mallie Interlude**

Millie stumbled in the front door at about two o'clock the next day, burdened by shopping bags full of groceries and extras that she had picked up on the way home from her audition. She had only an hour to prepare for Max's arrival. She hurriedly put the groceries away and took her other packages to the bedroom. The first thing she unpacked was the box of condoms she had purchased fearing Max might forget them again. This time, two weeks after the start of her period, it was far too risky to consider sex without any protection. Millie remembered what Max had said about his inexplicable urge to impregnate her. It was kind of touching, really. She found it hard to believe that he could be so certain of their relationship, when she was always haunted by that little voice in the back of her head telling her something was wrong.

Her fears didn't dull her anticipation and excitement about seeing Max again today. She took a large cardboard box out of one of her bags and laid it on the bed. She undid the ribbon and took off the lid. She had never spent so much money on lingerie before - and she was rather fond of buying lingerie! She looked at her purchase. Was it as perfect as she'd thought when she tried it on? Was it worth the expense? She picked up the black and green satin corset by the straps and looked closely at it. She held it up against herself and turned to the mirror. The colours were certainly just right, and it had a classic yet lascivious look that she knew Max would appreciate. She ran her hand over the emerald fabric with its black lace overlay, and knew he'd like the feel of it too. She lay the corset down and picked up the matching panties. Then she unpacked a second package, containing the sheer black stockings she would be attaching to the corset. It was two thirty now. Just enough time to shower and get dressed in her new purchases and be ready reclining on the bed waiting for Max's arrival.

Fifteen minutes later Millie emerged from the bathroom, washed and perfumed, hair flowing down, with her face made up a little heavier than her every day look to suit her sumptuous costume. She slipped off her robe, picked up the corset and put it on backwards, getting slightly annoyed at the two dozen or so hooks she had to fasten. Once this was done she spun the corset around, slid on the thin straps and arranged her bosom in its lacy cups. Then she slid on the knickers. She fluffed up her hair, then looked at herself in the full length mirror. Yes, she was sure Max would be pleased with the result. She smiled to herself as she imagined his reaction on seeing her. She unrolled the stockings and carefully pulled them up her legs and attached them to the corset. It was nearly five to three. Nothing to do now but wait. She had a bottle of wine and two glasses ready on the bedside table. She sat up against the carefully arranged pillows on the bed and listened for the sound of Max's key in the lock.

After five minutes of waiting, Millie started to feel silly and a bit self-conscious. She jumped up off the bed and grabbed her robe and put it on over the corset. No need to overwhelm poor Max straight away. Then she heard the sound of the front door opening, and footsteps on the tiles of the kitchen. Then there was the sound of his voice.

"Millie!" he called. "Where are you?"

"I'm in our room," she responded.

She heard his feet pounding up the stairs, as she felt the pounding within her chest of her heart at the thought of seeing him again. The door opened and there he was.

Max looked at Millie sitting on the bed in her bathrobe, then spotted a stilettoed foot and a glimpse of black stocking from the opening at the robe's front. He had a wicked idea. He guessed that she'd bought something new and very special for their reunion, but was now trying to hide it for fear of seeming too keen. He could work with that.

"Millie," he said quietly, falling onto the bed beside her and into her arms. They lay and just held each other for several minutes.

"It's so good to be here again. How are you?" Max said finally, raising his head off her shoulder.

"How do you think I am? I've missed you so much," Millie replied.

"Say, let's just lie here like this a little longer, then maybe we can go see a movie or something, you know get out of the house. What do you think?"

Millie frowned. "It's not exactly…intimate is it, going to the movies?"

Max kept a straight face, "A romantic movie then?"

The frown deepened. "I thought the whole idea of you coming here was so we could be together alone."

"I think it would be a real opportunity to bond if we spent today together without having sex."

"Do you now?" said Millie, who was beginning to smell a rat.

"It would do us the world of good. What do you say to that?"

"I say, fuck off!" Millie playfully crossed her arms and pouted.

"Was that a crudely put question? Yes, the fuck is off. Today we just hold hands." Max took Millie's hand in both of his, and kissed it.

"You kissed my hand! Surely that's not allowed."

"My apologies, I was out of line. No more kissing of any sort."

"All right, that's settled," said Millie standing up. "Now, just give me some time to get changed."

She threw off her robe off her shoulders and let it fall to her feet. She shook out her hair. Max gulped.

"I'll be back in a moment," she said as she started to wiggle her way across the room on her stilettos.

The view of her departing was too much for Max. He jumped off the bed and grabbed her.

"Wow, looked at you! I don't think you've ever looked so sexy! Come back to bed now."

"No, I think you're right. We should forget sex, and look at other aspects of our relationship," Millie made a mild attempt to pull away from Max.

"Millie," said Max sternly. "It's not fair of you to tease me…" He ran a finger along a strip of green satin at the base of her corset. Millie shivered at his touch.

"You're one to talk!" she replied, trying to look indignant. She turned and pretended she was walking away again.

Max moved up behind her and put his arms around her. He kissed the back of her neck and cupped her breasts in his hands. Then he ran one hand down the front of her corset and pushed her hips back against his own. They swayed gently against each other, while he continued kissing her neck, until Millie turned to face him and their lips met. Soon they were back on the bed. Millie untucked Max's shirt and slipped it over his head. Her hands and arms made their way around his naked torso, while Max's mouth moved across her neck and down onto the naked flesh of her breasts that spilled from the top of the corset. He pushed her back onto the bed to admire the full view.

"This is nice," he said. "Is it new?"

"I bought it especially for today. Especially for you."

"Well you'll be pleased to know that I bought a pack of condoms, especially for today and especially for you."

"I did too."

"Well, our weekend's planned!" said Max as he continued to look at her and skim his hands up and down her body.

"Isn't time you lost those jeans, DS Carter?" said Millie, who was trying to sit up to reach his belt but was held back by Max, still reading her body like Braille.

Max backed away and hurriedly complied, then returned to his sport of Millie worship.

"Who invented suspenders?" he wondered out loud, as he ran his fingers over the tops of her stockings and the straps that held them up.

"A man, I would think," returned Millie, who was slowly writhing from the thrill of his touch.

"I disagree," said Max. "A man would have designed them so you could remove the knickers without having to undo the straps." He moved in for a closer examination. "It just makes it so much less spontaneous when I want you to have the stockings on while we have sex." he added.

"Allow me." Millie removed Max's hands and in what seemed like a matter of seconds had removed the knickers. "Bows," she said. "I bought these new…"

"Shhh, explain the mechanics of it to me later, I have other priorities. Hey, seeing as we went without a condom last time you don't want to…"

"No," Millie said firmly. "This is exactly the time you would be doing that if you were trying to get pregnant. Besides, we have 24 condoms to get through, remember?"

"Just thought I'd ask. But enough talk…" Max looked down at Millie's face, brushed her hair away and kissed her. He held her in his arms and rolled them over so that he was underneath her. "I want to see you," he breathed in her ear, "to justify all the money you spent on that get up!"

Millie showed her compliance by bending forward to kiss him whilst hovering over him, supported by her arms. She felt it best to double check that he had kept his promise about wearing a condom before she rocked herself back onto him, thus allowing him the view he craved.

It occurred to Max that there was very little more he could ask for in life than the feeling of Millie undulating on top of him as he ran his hands across the silken stocking that encased her thighs to the taut roundness of her naked buttocks as they ground against him. That, and the sight of her in her black and green corset, her pleasure evident through both her face and her movements was as near to bliss as he could imagine. As their pleasure built and the movements became more deliberate and desperate, Max found himself once again thinking of the meeting of sperm and egg but he had to banish Millie's reaction from his mind or it would ruin everything for him at the critical moment. Of course, one look up at Millie in her increasing ecstasy was enough to focus on the pleasure of the moment rather than such troubling thoughts...

Some time later, the room bore the evidence of their time confined in there, through the empty bottle of wine, the tangle of sheets and Millie's expensive new corset lying beside the bed, having well and truly served its purpose. Beside it lay a couple of condom wrappers and discarded stockings. Mille and Max lay back on their pillows, their naked bodies spent and still happily entwined under the heaviness of the duvet. They were communicating through smiles, strokes and kisses, still wallowing in the after glow of their lovemaking.

Max stroked the back of his hand over Millie's cheek. He looked tenderly at the face he loved so much, the slight pink of her cheeks - still flushed from their passion, the deep chocolate colour of those soulful eyes. How could he bear to part from her again?

"So," he said running a finger over her bottom lip, "What's news?"

"To kill the mood entirely, your mother called last night," said Millie.

"Did she say why?"

"To tell me Cleo said hello I think. I told her you were on a case. You know, it struck me as strange she didn't ask any questions about it."

"I know what you're reading into that, but it's my mother's way of protecting herself from worrying about me. She'd be a nervous wreck if she thought too much about my job."

"Yes, that makes sense. Oh, and I auditioned for and got the role of Janet in an amateur production of _Rocky Horror_."

"I'm very proud of you! Well done. Hey wait a minute, how many men are in this theatre troupe?"

"Um several…"

"And don't they all get to feel you up in that show?"

"Well yeah, and all the women cop a feel too…"

"Can't leave you alone for a minute, can I?"

"Hey, you're the one with the girlfriend at work!"

"Don't remind me about her! I can't believe at first glance I thought she was you!"

"Neither can I!" said Millie, hitting his chest with the back of her fist. "Next you'll be absently mindedly sleeping with her because you only saw her from the back!"

"Oh, I think I know what you look like well enough from that angle not to confuse you," said Max, snuggling up against her.

"I would hope so. I like to believe there are some things you save only for me," said Millie.

"So how's my replacement at work?" asked Max, seeing they were on the topic of doppelgangers.

"I bet he doesn't fuck like you!" replied Millie without thinking.

"What? Why would you think about how he fucks?"

"Um, because we just did, if you remember! And because everyone keeps referring to him as your 'replacement', which I find slightly disturbing!"

"So, then, tell me what he looks like…" said Max suspiciously.

"Well, Mel thinks he's hot, so does Stevie…"

"And Millie thinks?"

"Millie doesn't look at anyone but her Max!"

"Come on, tell me!"

"Well, I guess there's no denying he is attractive, in a superficial, purely physical way. But personality-wise, ugh!"

"You know, people have said similar things about my personality," said Max.

"Not anyone who knows you like I do! And everyone is saying how much they miss you since he's arrived."

"Really? Ah schucks! It's so nice to be appreciated…once I'm gone!"

"You're here and I'm appreciating you…" said Millie, running a finger lazily back and forth across his chest.

"You think it's time to refuel before more sex?" asked Max. "Shall we order pizza?"

"And have it with wine? Just like when we were kidnapped! How romantic!"

"Hey, we do have a cellar here you know!"

"Hmm, it's tempting, but it's cold, so let's confine ourselves to the bed or the couch in front of the open fire."

"OK, I'll light the fire, you order the pizza?"

"We work so well as a team, don't you think?"

"I do. Say, Millie…"

"Yes Max?"

"You remember that thing you said about deciding we might be better apart?"

Of course she did. It was the question she was supposed to be answering today while she was alone. Still, she didn't want him to worry. "Oh Max, I didn't mean…"

"Are you still thinking it? Even now, when we're like this?"

"Not for a second, when we're like this. Right now I am so happy."

"Me too Millie. I don't want you to leave me, you know."

"And I don't want to leave."

And right at that moment, safe in Max's arms, Millie really meant it.


	9. Dangerous Acquaintances

**Warning: this chapter contains violence and drug use.**

**The Murder**

All of his life, Si Jones had been the skinny kid getting sand kicked in his face. Luckily, for most of that time he had had his stronger big brother Mick around to take care of the bullies for him. But here in gaol, with Mick having been released now for nearly a year, Si had had to rely on his own brawn and not very remarkable cunning to survive. As a result he was always getting himself into situations that he couldn't control and in which he invariably ended up getting hurt.

One time Jenson associate Bill Palmer had known Si from the days when Jenson had been Si's source of drugs, and had him pretty well sized up. It served Bill well that on the rare occasions the two men bumped into each other Si seemed somewhat in awe of the more powerful man. Bill's life in prison was not uncomfortable, as he was smart and also benefited still from the aegis of Jenson's network of contacts in the police and prison systems. Thus it annoyed him greatly when a new prisoner moved in and tried to take over his empire. As luck would have it however, Bill managed one day to come into possession of a very incriminating dvd relating to his new rival. His challenge now was to find a safe place to store it until it could be handed over to the appropriate authorities. Walking in for breakfast one morning he spotted Si and realised that here was the perfect patsy.

Apart from his lack of physical strength and cunning, Si had another weakness and that was heroin. When Mick had been around they had both taken advantage of the prison's methadone and rehab scheme but since Mick had gone Si had found it increasingly difficult to see the positives of life without smack. He hadn't actually used again, as Mick visited regularly and kept a keen eye on him, but just recently he had begun to look back on his days as a user with a sense of nostalgia. His feelings of lust for his old mistress were starting to return. So when Bill Palmer whispered his tit for tat deal into Si's ear that morning, Si jumped at the chance to take care of the dvd in exchange for a hit. He reasoned with himself that one hit wouldn't hurt, and Bill had cleverly muttered similar assurances to him.

Later that day one of Bill Palmers' goons appeared with the dvd and the gear in hand. Constantly looking over his shoulder, Si made his way back to his cell to secrete the dvd in the none-too-brilliant hiding place of a loose brick at the back of a bookcase. He felt the heroin in his pocket and decided he must have it now. He thought of a nice quiet place he could go to cook it and take it.

_Once he felt he was safely out of sight, he removed the drug, syringe, spoon and cigarette lighter from his pockets. He cooked the heroin and felt his mouth water as he dipped in the syringe and slowly let it suck the liquid up. He rolled up his sleeve and then remembered Mick was visiting tomorrow and would notice. He took off his shoe and decided to shoot it into his foot instead. This is going to hurt like hell, but it will be worth it, he thought. He whispered what unbeknownst to him were the last words he would ever utter on earth: "Sorry Mick." He tied up his foot and winced as he jabbed the needle between two of his toes. He released the tie, lay back, closed his eyes and waited. And then he felt the rush; like volts through his body, like the ebbing of waves across his eyes and his brain, like the hand of a familiar lover moving across him, knowing from experience and instinct exactly where the touches felt best. But somehow he was left wanting. Despite being clean, years of drug use had meant that he still wanted more. Next time, he thought, I will need a bigger hit._

_He sat there and let the sensation flow out of him. Time passed and his feelings turned to sleepiness. He surrendered consciousness for the last time and drifted off to sleep. He was deeply asleep enough for his killer to walk up to him and effortlessly plunge the jagged edge of a broken bottle into his neck, and twist it in without ever waking the victim._

The commotion that the killing of an inmate causes in the prison was just enough of a diversion for Bill Palmer to sneak into Si's cell and retrieve the dvd. Without a moment's regret, Bill's mind started working on who else would be stupid enough to trade their safety for a single hit of junk.

**The Mourners**

Still high from her weekend ensconced at home with Max, Millie walked through the corridors of Sun Hill with a spring in her step. It was nearly the end of the week again, and she had high hopes of another call from Max. Their loved up day and night had gone some way towards alleviating Millie's uncertainties and she had survived the ultimate test of her feelings by encountering DS Cooper and feeling quite confident about meeting his eye. Now all that needed to be done was to tie up the Jenson case and get Max back home as quickly as possible.

Sergeant Callum Stone was acting as Custody Sergeant that day and noticed PC Brown passing by. Stone was the type of man who felt that his role as upholder of the law allowed him certain rights and that if these rights didn't adhere strictly to the book, well, that the ends justified his occasionally brutal means. He hated the perpetrators of crime and in his mind most other police officers shared his views. He stuck his head around the door and called to Millie to come and see him.

Millie entered the room and smiled at him. Stone reflected she was a charming girl, even if he did get the impression that sometimes she regarded him and his methods with suspicion. Anyway, he had news that would make her happy today.

"Millie, I thought you might like to know, I heard today that one of the toe rags responsible for kidnapping you after the toy shop robbery got his just desserts a couple of days ago."

To Stone's surprise, Millie's face fell. _Oh God, Mick! _she thought to herself.

"What do you mean?" she said slowly.

"Si Jones was killed by a fellow inmate, glassed in the throat I believe. I thought you'd be pleased! Are you OK." Stone helped Millie onto a chair.

"Yes Sir, I'm fine, just a bit shocked that's all. Thanks for letting me know."

Millie got herself up again. She had to get out of the presence of this man, who stood before her delighting in this tragic ending to an equally tragic life. She made her way to the toilets, locked herself in a cubicle and cried. Poor Si! What hope did he ever have? He had been the more volatile and violent of the two brothers, but anyone could see that underneath it he was soft as butter. And what about Mick? How would her one time lover cope with his loss? She had to speak to him, to find out how he was.

DC Dasari walked into the toilets and heard the sound of sobbing. She had bonded with Millie when she was her handler when Millie was undercover, and knew it was her.

"Millie, is that you?" she asked. "It's Grace."

Millie emerged from the toilets and started to sob on Grace's shoulder.

"You'll think I'm crazy, but I've just heard that Si Jones, one of the brothers that kidnapped me, has been murdered."

"It's not crazy at all Millie, it's very admirable of you to feel compassion for him."

"Would you think I was crazy then if I told you that I wanted to contact his brother to see how he's coping?" asked Millie. No need for Grace to know more than that.

"Hmm, no not crazy. I tell you what, let's clean you up and go see DI Manson and see if we can get a number for his brother. He's probably the best judge of whether or not this would be appropriate."

The two women walked upstairs and knocked on Neil Manson's door. Being fond of both Grace and Millie, he greeted them cheerfully and ushered them to sit down. It was such a relief to be dealing with two reasonable people as opposed to some of the silly squabbles he often found himself faced with.

"Grace, Millie. What's happening? Nothing too serious I hope?"

Grace spoke first. "Guv, Millie has just found out that Si Jones, who you will remember was one of the men who kidnapped her, has been murdered in prison."

Neil knew Millie had a lot of sympathy for the Jones brothers, so he responded gently, "I'm sorry to hear that Millie. What do you want us to do?"

"Sir, I would really like to be able to contact Si's brother Mick, and offer my condolences and see how he's coping. I'm afraid he might revert to his old habits, because he and Si were very close."

"Indeed, and Mick has done so well since he's left prison. He's one of our success stories really. So, you want me to find a way to contact him?"

"Yes please. I don't think he'd mind."

"I'm sure he wouldn't." Neil remembered how Mick had taken a blow from his brother in an attempt to free Millie, whom Si was at the time holding at gunpoint. "Leave it with me Millie, and I'll get back to you later."

"Thanks, Sir, I really appreciate it."

"Oh and Millie, why don't you go get yourself a cuppa in the canteen while I see what I can find out? You look like you could use it."

Millie smiled and nodded her appreciation, before making her way to the canteen.

She got her tea and sat at a table. It was all she could do to stop herself from crying again when she thought about poor, foolish Si. In many ways it was more of a surprise that he had lasted this long without Mick than it was that he was killed. Thank God Mick had more willpower and seemed to getting his life on track.

"PC Brown, you OK?"

There was that voice again. Millie looked up to see Matt Cooper giving her his best concerned look. Millie smiled sadly at him.

"Yeah, I'm OK. Just heard about a death, that's all."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Matt slid onto the chair beside her.

"No thanks Sarge. I just want to sit and gather my thoughts for a while."

"OK Millie, but remember, if you ever need to talk, I've always got a willing ear." Matt stood up again, squeezing her arm reassuringly before walking away.

_Don't you go turning out to be a decent human being on me now!_ Millie thought as she watched him leave. As Matt walked out the door, DI Manson entered it, holding a bit of paper, which he proceeded to hand to Millie.

"Here's Mick's mobile. Look, leave the Jenson stuff for an hour or two and go take care of this if you like."

"I think I will," nodded Millie. "I really appreciate all your help."

Millie stood up and gave Neil a hug. Neil patted her on the shoulder and looked after her as she left the room. _I hope she knows what she's doing, _he thought to himself.

Millie quickly changed and made her way to a nearby park, where she rang Mick. He was genuinely surprised and grateful to hear from her. He explained how his and Si's parents had long since disowned their wayward boys, and he had no one to share his grief with.

How did meeting up for dinner sound? asked Millie

Perfect, replied Mick, and they arranged a time and place to meet.

A very red-eyed Mick strode into the café where he was meeting Millie, who was already there, waiting. She stood up and they hugged each other. Mick tears welled up in his eyes and Millie suggested perhaps they should go for a walk to start with. She held his arm as he told her how powerless he felt, how he wished he been there to protect Si, how Si never had known who to trust and how disappointed he was that after so long a break Si had been found with a syringe beside him.

Millie patted his arm sympathetically as they walked. After a while they stopped for a break at a park bench. Mick turned towards Millie and put his head on her shoulder and wept. Millie held him tightly. As she held him and felt the rhythmic motion of his crying, she couldn't help but cast her mind back to the one time they had slept together. She had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Holding him again she remembered the feel of his naked body and she realised she was still attracted to him. She contrasted the feel of him with his lean boyishness and taut smooth skin to the manly muscularity of Max. There was no doubt that she in everyway preferred Max, but right then and there the memory of Mick that night and the feel of his chest against hers had a sudden potency she hadn't anticipated.

In the depths of his misery, Mick could not ignore his memories of that very same night. Millie had been almost like a muse to him, one of the first people who hadn't judge him, who had in fact seen the very worst of him but still encouraged him to believe that he could change. When he had been kicking his habit, the vision of Millie's kind eyes and gentle, kissable smile had been there to get him through the more difficult stages of the process. And here she was again when he needed her most. He remembered when he had met her that day she had agreed to sleep with him. The reformed Mick had had luck with a few women since then, but the memory of their union had been replayed in his mind many times. The first kiss, her capitulation, the sight of her naked body in the moonlight, the feel, smell and taste of her, the way she looked him in the eyes as she moved against him, the way she closed her eyes and cried out as he felt himself explode inside her – all of these things came flooding back into his mind as they sat there on the bench.

Mick slowly lifted his face from Millie's shoulder and she looked back at him. Millie watched as his eyes looked into hers and then down at her lips. She watched as his face came closer to hers, moving in to kiss her.


	10. A Couple of Unfortunate Events: Part 1

**What Was Happening**

Millie turned her head to the side so that Mick's lips landed on her cheek.

"No Mick, stop! I'm sorry but I'm here as a friend and nothing more. I'm seeing someone and I'm completely committed to him."

Mick drew a deep breath. "I'm sorry Millie, I know I shouldn't have done that. I know how things stand. I was just thinking about how close we were that night, and well, you remember how good it was."

Millie grabbed his hand, "I do. And part of the reason it was so special was that it was a one off. We agreed that at the time, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. I wish it was different though."

"Yeah well, in another time and another place perhaps. Mick, you're so smart, brave and handsome, there are hundreds of girls out there for you."

"You're saying 'you too could be happy like me', right? Maybe you've spoilt me for other women. None of the ones I've met seem to come close."

"You're young, you'll find someone."

"Thanks Grandma. Umm, is hugging OK?"

"Yes, that's still OK." Millie hugged him tightly, wishing with all her might that somehow he would meet someone as special to him as Max was to her. She knew she could have so easily ended up in bed with Mick again tonight, or even justified (to herself at least) sharing a kiss and a bit of a feel. After all, she had wanted to test her love for Max in his absence, and what better way? And she was sure she would have enjoyed it on a purely physical level too. But no matter what she told herself, she simply didn't want anyone but Max, and there was no way she'd ever do anything like that to him.

"Millie," said Mick. "There's a small service for Si tomorrow. There won't be many there, just a few cousins and friends. I hoped it would be OK if you came along, you know, as a support to me?"

Millie gave him a squeeze, "Of course I will. Now, what say we go have that dinner now."

"OK"

They got up and walked together to the café.

The next day Millie arrived at Mick's place to collect him and drive him to the small chapel at which Si's service and cremation were to take place. Millie had arranged to have the morning off work to attend the funeral so they had a quick cup of coffee at Mick's flat before leaving. They drove together to the chapel. The turn out for the service was pitifully small in comparison to most funerals Millie had been to. She squeezed Mick's hand.

Mick spoke and introduced Millie to twenty or so people gathered, who turned out to be mainly cousins. Mick explained to Millie that they had scores of cousins.

"By the way," he said as he sat up the front of the chapel with Millie, waiting for the service to begin. "I got a call from another cousin of mine, who lives in Australia. I've decided that I'm going to go live there with him for while, possibly forever. I don't think I want to stay in England now." Mick glanced sadly at the coffin at the front of the room.

"Mick, that's great! I'll be sad to see you go, but a change might be just what you need. This cousin of yours, is he straight?"

"He doesn't do drugs and he's not a crim, if that's what you mean," replied Mick as they stood to welcome the celebrant into the chapel.

Millie squeezed Mick's hand, which was still in her own, once again. She held his hand throughout the service.

After everything was done, Mick, Millie and the other mourners wandered outside and made their farewells. Mick shook hands and hugged various people, and explained to just about everyone that no, Millie was not his girlfriend, just a friend who had come here to support him and who knew Si.

Soon just Millie and Mick were left standing together out the front.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye then," said Mick, clasping both of Millie's hands in front of him.

"I guess so," agreed Millie, not quite knowing what to say.

Mick smiled, "This is our second final goodbye, if you remember?"

"Oh yes, I do. With any luck maybe we'll get a chance to have a third or fourth final goodbye," Millie said with a small laugh as she reached up to stroke Mick's cheek.

Mick put his hand on the hand on his face and pressed it to his lips. He reached out both his arms for Millie and they hugged each other. Millie had tears in her eyes. They stood there holding each other for some time.

After a while, Millie became aware of her phone buzzing in her bag. Still holding Mick with one arm, she answered it. The name that lit up was 'Will'.

"Hello," she said calmly.

"Millie," came Max's confused and angry voice back at her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

**How Things Looked**

Earlier that day…

Max and Will were sitting in Superintendent Jill Lees' office being given an assignment for the day. Max was finding it very hard to concentrate. The Super was wearing yet another of her seemingly inexhaustible collection of short, tight, black skirts, and was sitting on her desk with her legs crossed. At one point she switched legs and Max could have sworn he caught a glimpse of a suspender strap under her skirt. So while the Super talked he was having difficult time stopping himself from watching to try to confirm his suspicions. It had to be said that he wasn't especially attracted to the Super, he was just watching out of curiosity and getting a slight kick out of the reminder it gave him of Millie the other night modeling her new purchases for him.

For her part, it never would have occurred to Jill Lees that a man twenty years her junior would have the slightest interest in her, nor would she be going out of her way to attract him. This was simply the way she liked to dress, and she expected people to take her as she was. While the Super talked and Max looked uncomfortable Will was trying to suppress his laughter at seeing Max every so often tilting his head from one side to another. He knew damn well what Max was looking at!

In between their other preoccupations during this meeting, Max and Will were able to glean that the Super was asking them to observe the funeral of a former Jenson associate, just to see if anyone they suspected happened to show up to renew old ties.

"…that name ring a bell, Max?" the Super asked.

Max looked up at the sound of his own name, "Sorry, Ma'am?"

"Simon Jones, or Si Jones as he was commonly known. That name should ring a bell for you."

"It does." said Max. "He was one of the brothers who kidnapped Mill - PC Brown after the toy shop robbery."

"Now, we strongly suspect that an old mate of Jenson's, a Bill Palmer, ordered Jones's murder. Palmer is serving time in the same prison as Jones was, and would have had dealings with Jones in the past. Basically we need you two to see if any familiar faces, particularly from this station, make an appearance. We believe that Palmer might be in charge after Jenson's death. Of course, we'll have to get you a car that can't be associated with this station to carry out the obbo…"

"I'll fix that up, Guv," said Ian Sutcliffe, who had been sitting quietly in the corner. He then left the room to organise things.

"Right. Now, PC Brown's other kidnapper, the victim's brother Michael, should be there. Do you know what he looks like?" asked the Super.

"I do," said Will. He glanced over to see if Max reacted to that name. He wasn't sure if Millie had ever told Max about her and Mick.

"Keep an eye on him. He's completely reformed so they say, and you never know what an opportunistic Jenson supporter might do. There are some that seem bent on revenge for Jenson's death, and will blame anyone, no matter how insignificant a connection they may have had to him."

"Guv," Max replied.

"OK, DI Sutcliffe will let you know when the car's ready. The funeral's not for two hours yet, which should give you plenty of time."

Max and Will left the room. On their way to the general CID office they encountered two of their colleagues, DS Wood and DC Kirk going in the opposite direction. They nodded at each other.

"Coffee time?" said Will, noticing that they seemed to be heading in the direction of the door.

"Err, very funny," replied Paul Kirk. "Actually, we're just following up a lead."

"Good luck!" said Will as the two men walk away from them.

Max and Will looked at each other. If any officers were connected with Jenson, their money was on those two!

Soon enough, the car was organised and Max and Will drove to the chapel where Si Jones's funeral was being held. There seemed to be a few people milling around the chapel, but there was no sign of Mick Jones, which surprised them, but they reasoned that he had probably got to the chapel early and was already inside organising things. 1030 came and no one else seemed to be entering or exiting the chapel, except for a lone smoker who appeared at about 1045.

It was rather boring sitting there in car for Max and Will, but at least the two men seemed to have learnt to put their differences aside and work together quite harmoniously. Max was still basking in the euphoria of his weekend with Millie, and felt so happy and secure about everything that not even Will's past dalliance with Millie could upset him. Will in turn had warmed to Max because he could see that Max was truly devoted to his good friend Millie, and was treating her well. And of course the whole feeling of being in a Not Quite Right Sun Hill together at their new station was a bond as well. Neither man would use the word, but it was almost like they had become friends!

Eventually people started coming out of the chapel. Will's attention was suddenly diverted to a car parked on the opposite side of the street.

"Max, see the blue car over there. Look who's inside it."

"Kirk and Wood. I hope they haven't spotted us."

"At least our windows are a bit more tinted then theirs seem to be. Nice to be able to return to the station with a breakthrough."

"Let's not give up just yet Will. More people are coming out of the chapel."

"That looks like Mick Jones to me, Si's brother. And with him is…" Will didn't complete his sentence. There was no need for him to. Max could see clearly enough it was Millie.

Will didn't know what to say. He looked at the Max's face and saw his stunned expression.

"What's she doing here?" Max asked rhetorically.

Will felt he had to answer. "Well, you knew she and Mick were mates right?" he asked carefully.

"What do you mean 'mates'?" Max said, even though he was pretty sure he knew exactly what Will meant.

"You know, they had that thing…" Will knew Millie was going to kill him.

"What? Are you saying something happened the night of the kidnapping and she never mentioned it?"

"No, it was after that…"

"When she was seeing me?" Max demanded.

"No, well before that. When she was still a copper, or at least before she pretended not to be one."

"She slept with a criminal when she was a copper?" As if this wasn't distressing enough, Max had looked up to see Millie had her arm linked with Mick's.

Will saw what was happening and shook his head. He couldn't believe Millie could be so stupid. "Yeah I know, not exactly ethical. But she regretted it afterwards."

"Oh I can see that! She obviously wishes she never went near him! Today she's just there to offer a sympathy fuck you think?"

"Max, I don't believe for a second Millie would do anything like that. She loves you. She would never cheat on you. I'm sure she's just here as a friend." Will could have killed Millie because, right at the moment, she wrapped her arms around Mick, who was embracing her back.

"Look mate," he said to Max, "…take my phone and call her right now. It's not fair to either of you not to put a stop to this before it goes too far."

"Somehow I think it's best I get to see what's really going on," said Max, pushing the phone away.

"No." Will was adamant. "You ring her now. It's the best thing for both of you. Then you'll see it's just a misunderstanding."

Max angrily took the phone from Will. He punched in Millie's number. He watched as she looked in her bag and answered her phone.

"Hello," came her voice. Max couldn't believe that in the midst of betraying him she could sound so cool.

"Millie," Max replied. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Millie was perplexed. She let her other arm fall from around Mick. "What do you mean?" she asked.

'I mean, you see that red car across the road from you, no, wait, you hear this horn blaring…" Max hit the horn, "that's me and Will sitting in the car. And we are currently watching my supposed girlfriend with her hands all over some guy who Will has just told me was once her lover." Will sank back into his seat. "That's what I mean!"

"Max, for God sake!" Millie was angry. She took a few steps away from Mick. "Do you realise that poor Mick's brother has just been murdered, and that his parents have long since disowned them? I am here to offer comfort to a friend, that's all. I haven't done anything wrong!"

Max was almost speechless with rage. "Nothing wrong? OK, let's just say then that you're being a bit insensitive! Is that better?"

Millie sighed. "Look Max, let's not argue now about who's being insensitive. Ring me back later, and we'll talk then OK? I do love you, you know." Millie had decided if the police were watching the funeral, she'd better escort Mick home after all.

"I thought I did. Now I'm not so sure." Max hung up and crossed his arms and stared in front of him. Will didn't know what to say. He notice Max only moved his gaze when Millie and Mick started to walk off towards the car park, where he recognised Millie's car and wondered why he hadn't spotted it earlier.

Will thought he'd better say something. "Max, I don't think Mill would cheat on you. I'm sure if my brother died she'd look after me the same way. And you know that wouldn't mean anything don't you?"

"I know you're trying to make me feel better, but you're not," said Max. "And I don't understand how you can defend her."

"I can't." Will said simply. "I think she's being incredibly insensitive, and quite frankly, a bit stupid. But I don't think she thinks this in anyway impacts on your relationship. I think she's just trying to be a good friend."

Max didn't say anything. He just looked at Will and shook his head. Then he turned as saw Millie looking at him as she and Mick drove off together in her car.


	11. A couple of Unfortunate Events: Part 2

**Max's Misgivings**

"Look at it this way," said Max, who was starting to lose his patience. "You're going about your job, and you look up and see your partner with their arms around some person, who you find out is your partner's ex-lover. How would you feel?"

Millie bit her lip. She could see Max's point of view completely. But she was annoyed at his accusations, and she didn't like the idea of not being able to hug her friends. She tried to sound calm and reasonable.

"I would feel confused and wonder what was going on. But then I'd be reassured once I'd spoken to you and found out that you stopped anything happening, like I did when he tried to kiss me…"

"He tried to kiss you?"

"Yes, but I stopped him. I've explained to you, nothing happened!" she protested.

Max stamped his foot on the ground in frustration. Gee, she could be stubborn. Why couldn't she just say she was sorry instead of getting on a high horse. "Fine." He said finally. "If that's how it is, I may as well just get going."

Millie rushed across the sitting room as Max started to head towards the door. "Wait, Max. Don't run off like that! We have such little time together, let's make the most of it."

Millie pulled him down to sit with her on their couch. He grumpily put his arm around her and said, "You really hurt me, you know."

Millie looked up at him and saw the hurt in his face. Her eyes were soon full of tears as she realised how she had made him feel. Soon the tears were flowing freely.

"I didn't mean to," she whispered.

Max sat on the couch and held Millie tight. He couldn't quite understand why he was the one comforting her when he felt she had been in the wrong, but he couldn't stand to see her crying. He almost felt like crying himself when the vision of Millie standing in the street hugging Mick Jones popped into his head, which it seemed to be doing often. Every time he had that vision he relived the feeling of utter emptiness he had when he saw them together. She said that Mick was just a friend, but part of him couldn't believe that. Not in light of those hints she had been dropping about their relationship. All the pieces seemed to be falling into place. The end appeared inevitable.

As she sobbed onto his chest, he looked above her head at the home they had set up together in the house that was once his alone. Could he return to his old pre-Millie life? He looked around the room and imagined it without things like the photo of them together on the mantelpiece, the vase her grandma gave her, the piano and her little cupboard of sheet music. All of these things had only been in this room a few short months, but to him they now seemed to belong there. Max decided to try not to think about these things. Millie was with him now, saying she loved him and that she wanted them to be together. And he just had to believe that. But then he had to ask himself, was he being a fool? Was she just taking advantage of the free board and regular sex?

A red-eyed, wet-nosed Millie raised her head and looked up into Max's eyes. He moved in towards her to kiss her. Her tears made the kiss seem warmer and wetter than usual, which he found somehow erotic. She kissed him back with equal passion. There was one aspect of their relationship you could count on: their complete physical understanding and desire for each other. Max looked at the clock on the wall and sighed. He and Millie just had one hour together until Will came back to collect him, and they were nearly forty minutes through that.

He and Millie kissed again, both evidently hungry for each other. Max was in a quandary. He was still angry at Millie and didn't feel especially loving towards her, but he really wanted sex. Then it occurred to him; he feared she'd used him, so why shouldn't he use her? Perhaps he could work out some of his anger through sex? He tried to think of her as simply a collection of female parts, an anonymous set of components designed for his pleasure. He grabbed her face with his hand and kissed her on the mouth, without tenderness or even looking at her. He was keeping his eyes closed in an effort to forget it was her at all.

Hands, mouths, legs went everywhere and clothes were removed. He felt his hips being encircled by her legs, which pulled him sharply in towards her. Much to his surprise he felt his animalistic passion for her being met and equaled by her own need for him. He looked down on her and felt that the saddest thing of all was that even in the midst of his spite and anger towards her, she was completely in tune with his desires and inclinations, and getting off on them as much as he was. All the emotion he had been suppressing came flooding back. He couldn't see how it was possible to ever find anyone else with whom he shared such a natural, physical connection.

He paused for a moment to give her time to tell him to get a condom, but she was silent. That was all the permission he needed…

A short time later Max and Millie lay naked and spent on the couch, holding each other but still feeling a little awkward. Max looked at the clock and thought it was lucky that Will was late. They both got up and started to prepare for Will's return.

"I think I'll have a quick shower," said Max.

"OK, off you go," Millie sent him off with a quick kiss. She was worried. She'd enjoyed the sex, but Max still seemed distant somehow.

There was a knock on the door and Millie threw on a robe and answered it. It was Will, who rolled his eyes at the sight of her.

"Can't I leave you two alone for even an hour without you jumping on each other? No, don't worry, I'm going to wait in the car. God knows what I might sit on in there. Tell Max I'm waiting."

"He's just having a quick shower…"

"I'm covering my ears..." said Will walking away from her.

Max came down the hallway, hair wet, buttoning up his clean shirt.

He kissed her quickly on his way out the door.

"I'll try and call you soon," he said simply.

"See you later," she responded sadly. She watched him get into the car and drive away. She slowly shut the door behind her, wondering if things would ever be like they were again.

**The Final Straw**

The following Thursday was Leon's birthday and in accordance with the traditions of Sun Hill drinks were organised at the local pub. Millie hadn't joined the rest of the crew at the pub for a while, preferring to spend her free time with Max, but as he was away and as she really liked Leon, she thought why not? She left her car at the station and walked to the pub with the rest of the Relief.

As it was her first night out in a long time, she made up her mind she was going to have a good time, so she danced, sang a song or two and had quite a bit to drink. So did just about everyone else, so no one really made any comment on her high spirits. But all night she had this funny feeling, like she was being watched. She tried to ignore it, but as the alcohol started to make her less inhibited she started to look around to see who could be watching her. It didn't take her long to determine that the eyes that seemed to be boring into her were those of DS Matt Cooper. She looked over to him and he smiled at her. She smiled back, then turned away hoping that his attentions would focus elsewhere as the night progressed.

Matt Cooper sat at the table and watched as the supple, slender form of PC Millie Brown cavorted with her friends on the dance floor. There was no doubt she was a fine figure of a woman, Matt thought as he ran a finger over his frosty beer glass. And she was a good singer too. Really, she had an awful lot to recommend her. Matt could tell she had had quite a bit to drink tonight and wondered how she was getting home. Luckily, he had kept himself sober, and he had a car.

The night wore on and the Sun Hill crowd started to thin out. The stayers of the group, mainly the male member of the Relief, had a protective concern for the female officers, so when the time came for Millie to leave they fussed over how she was getting home. Matt Cooper overheard, and smiled to himself when he realised the opportunity to get Millie alone had finally come.

He approached the group. "Hey Millie, no need to get a taxi, I'll drive you home," he said.

"No," said Millie, who was so concerned by the offer she didn't even bother to pretend to be gracious.

Leon and Nate, who were both quite drunk, had been concerned that Millie wasn't properly over Max, and gave each other a conspiratorial look at Matt's suggestion. Why not set Millie up for a bit of fun? It would do her good to hook up with a new guy.

"That's settled then," said Nate. "Matt will drive you home."

"Really, there's no need," said Millie.

"I insist," said Matt.

"There you go Mill, he insists. Now come on!" Leon started to push Millie out towards Matt's car.

"No I'm OK," Millie tried to signal her concerns to Leon, but he was too drunk to pick up on them. So was Nate. They bundled her into the front seat of Matt's car with a satisfied look. Millie didn't know what to do. She simply didn't trust him.

Matt sat down in the car beside her. "You looked worried," he said reaching over and squeezing her knee. "Don't be. I'm a very good driver." He smiled to himself again. _Now I've got you where I want you_, he thought.

They drove off and made small talk. Millie tried to tell herself it would all be OK, that she shouldn't be worrying, but she couldn't get over that feeling of doom. What was it, she wondered? Was she afraid he wouldn't take no for an answer? Was she afraid of her reaction if he kissed her? _No matter how good it feels I mustn't give in,_ she told herself. _Think of Max. You know you love him. You belong to Max._

Eventually they arrived at her and Max's house. Matt stopped the car, put his arm across the back of her seat and turned towards her. She muttered a quick thanks and jumped out of the car. He opened the door and got out too.

"Millie, wait," he said, coming around the car to her and taking hold of her hand.

The hand moved up her arm, then the other hand landed on the top of the other arm. She couldn't help but feel he was holding her a bit too tight.

"Let me go Sarge," she said, shrinking back from him, "I'm not interested..."

"But I think you are," Matt refused to loosen his grip. "How can you deny it? I've seen the look in your eyes. Come on Millie, just kiss me. Then we can see how you feel."

Millie struggled and Matt moved in closer. She was starting to get scared.

Both of them were startled by the sound of a voice that came from behind a nearby bush.

"I think you'd better let her go mate. I don't think she likes it."

Millie looked up to see Max standing there.

"Who are you?" asked Matt angrily.

"I'm her... neighbour," Max replied. "And I don't like the way you're treating her. Let her go."

Matt let Millie go and walked over and stood nose to nose with Max. "Listen mate, I think you can leave us alone now. I'm a police officer you know."

Max refused to budge. "Are you? So am I. I think it's time you got back in your car and drove off."

"Is that what you want, Millie?" Matt asked, still staring Max in the eye.

"Yes, it is," she said.

Matt sighed. "OK. I'll see you at work then."

"OK Sarge. Thanks for the lift."

Still looking at Max, Matt walked over to his car and got in. He drove off at speed.

Millie went to run into Max's arms, but he turned away. "Let's just go inside will we?" he said coldly.

Millie meekly followed him in.

Max had had enough. He had turned up tonight somewhat calmer and more loving towards Millie than at their last meeting - feeling slightly guilty for being so hard on her in fact. Tonight he'd hoped to give her a nice surprise by offering her an evening like those they used to have together. Instead he arrived to an empty house and was then confronted with the sight of her yet again in the company of another man, and after a night out enjoying herself too. He was deeply hurt. He couldn't help but think she didn't want to be with him anymore, that all of these situations with other men were because she wasn't ready to settle down with him. He decided it was time to make a pre-emptive strike.

"Max…" Millie began as they entered their kitchen.

"No, Millie. Let me speak. I think it's time you looked for somewhere else to live." Max spoke coldly and without even looking at her. He knew if he did he'd relent, or worse still, cry.

This was the last thing Millie expected. She expected anger, recriminations, possibly even tears, but never this. She couldn't believe what he had said.

"You're splitting up with me?" she asked, completely flabbergasted.

Max closed his eyes, "I didn't say that. I don't know. All I know is that this isn't working and I just can't face being hurt like that again."

"But Max, I haven't done anything wrong. I love you. I…"

"You may not have done anything, but that's twice now you've got yourself into situations where you could have, so easily. I think it's saying on some subconscious level that you don't want this relationship."

"No Max, I am totally committed to you. You couldn't be more wrong!"

"Come on Millie, have you ever thought you might be trying to convince yourself this is what you want? Where did that statement about us possibly deciding we might be better off apart come from? Something made you say that."

"Maybe I just needed to test things out, and I've done that now. I know what I want."

"Well maybe you've made me doubt what I want. Look, I'm feeling like I can't concentrate on anything else because of all this. Maybe we should have a break while the case is on and then think about things when it's over. In the meantime of course you can stay here as long as you need to."

Millie hung her head. She couldn't look at him. "Is this your final word?"

Max nodded. "Yes, it is. Now it's late and I'm tired. We'll set up the spare room for you."

That one came completely from left field for Millie. When he said it, she realised that she'd put the last of her hope in reconciliation sex, but obviously that wasn't on the cards.

For Max, this was the beginning of him reclaiming the house as his own. The worst thing about this whole situation, apart from the fear of losing Millie, was his feeling that things were out of his control. He reasoned it was his bed, why shouldn't he be the one to sleep in it tonight? Churning away inside him the whole time was his anger that Millie was still refusing to claim any responsibility for what had happened. She had never once said that what she'd done was wrong.


	12. Letting Go

**The Final Farewell**

Millie and Max went to their separate rooms. Max had to shut the door because he couldn't bear to listen to the sound of her crying any more. When he was safely shut away, he went to a drawer in his wardrobe. He pulled out a little box and opened it. Inside was his grandmother's pearl ring. He had intended it to be Millie's Christmas present this year - Christmas being only three weeks away now. He didn't quite know what reaction he expected, so he had decided to take a chance and play it by ear. If she had thought he was proposing and turned him down, he'd decided he could say it was just because he loved her, nothing more significant. If she had taken it as a proposal and said yes, then, bang, it would have been an engagement ring. Now it would just have to go back his mother and he'd have to put up with her questions, then her anger at Millie, then her pity for him. With these thoughts thumping away in his head, he fell asleep.

Millie lay in the cold bed of their spare room and wept her heart out. She was glad she wasn't on for early shift tomorrow, because it was now 3 am and she hadn't slept a wink. She wondered how Max was feeling alone there in their bed. She hadn't heard him moving about or crying or anything so she guessed he'd managed to sleep. She wanted to believe that this showed that he was heartless and that she was the one who was really suffering, but she knew that wasn't the case. It had finally dawned on her just how much she'd hurt him.

"I should have just apologised" she wept to herself. "Now he's just not listening to me at all. I've lost him, probably for good."

Millie couldn't think of a time in her life when she had felt more bereft than she did at this moment. There was a hollowness like a hunger gnawing away at her, and each time the realisation of what had happened came back to her it was like her stomach turning. She couldn't remember ever feeling like this before. She reflected on her break ups in the past. None of them came close to feeling like this, except when she'd split up with Tim when she was twenty-two. She remembered thinking at the time that it was the worst day of her life. After she'd locked herself away and cried for a few days, she'd gone on such a bender for the next week! Of course, being older and a member of the police force precluded several of the crutches she had used back then, and she didn't see herself being able to take comfort in seducing strangers either. She couldn't see herself wanting to sleep with anyone but Max for a long time, if ever.

A wave of nausea hit her at the thought that perhaps the loss of Max would one day seem as insignificant to her as the loss of Tim seemed to her now after several years had passed. After all, she had been with Tim for two and a half years, and with Max for not even eight months. But somehow she was convinced there would be no one for her after Max.

She heard footsteps and then a gentle knock on her door. It opened and Max walked in. He sat on the bed.

"I woke and heard you crying," he said, patting her hip with his hand. "I had to come see how you are."

"I'm gutted," said Millie dramatically. "I just can't believe…" She started to sob again.

Max grabbed her and held her tight. "I'm sorry my darling. The last thing I want to do is make you cry. But I don't see any other way."

"Don't you love me any more?" Millie asked, wiping her nose.

Max paused, because he was almost at the point of tears himself. Once he had collected himself, he said, "I love you more than I ever thought I could love anything…"

"Then why…"

"…which is why I can't be with you if you don't love me as much as I love you. It's just too painful."

"But I do love you Max, I do! I want to be with you forever. I want to grow old with you, to have a family, to give myself to you and no one else. I want…"

"Hush," Max silenced her by pulling her closer to him. He couldn't bear to listen to that right now. "Maybe all this will happen. But let's try a break first. I'm just, I don't know, too hurt, too vulnerable to cope with this right now. Can you just give me time?"

It was Millie's turn to hug him tight. "I will give you whatever you need, as long as you come back to me."

"I'll try. Now I'd better go. I have things to do at my flat to get ready for work, and I may as well go now seeing as I'm awake. Why don't you go back to our bed? I feel a bit stupid about having banished you from it now."

"Can I have a goodbye kiss?"

Max smiled and pulled her towards him. It was a closed-mouthed kiss, a kiss devoid of their usual sexual passion. But is lasted a long time and was probably the most poignant they had ever shared. They both knew it might have to last them for a long time, possibly forever.

**Millie's Day**

PCs Leon Taylor and Nate Roberts were drinking coffee in the canteen, looking decided worse for wear. They were very thankful that like Millie they had not been rostered on for the early shift today. Their sergeant, Jo, looked at them, half admonishingly and half wanting to laugh. Stevie and Terry sat with them, thankful that Leon and Nate weren't their charges and they didn't have to pretend that they didn't find the boys' predicament amusing!

A very red-eyed and tired Millie walked into the canteen and up to their table.

"Oh, no, not another hung-over PC for me to deal with!" said Jo.

"I'm not hung-over Sarge, just angry!" Millie turned her attention to Nate and Leon and put her hands on her hips. Nate and Leon knew what was coming, and it was the last thing they felt like dealing with right at that moment.

"Mill!" said Nate, trying to lighten the mood. "How did it go with DS Cooper last night?"

Millie was monomaniacal. "I just want to say," she said glaring at them, "don't you ever, ever throw me in a car with someone when I've said I don't want a lift! I know you were drunk, but you completely ignored my protests!"

"Why, did something happen?" asked Terry, looking concerned.

"He did try to kiss me, and he didn't want to take no for an answer," said Millie simply. "Lucky for me…someone came along and stopped him. I shudder to think what would have happened if they hadn't!"

Leon and Nate looked ashamed. "Sorry Mill, we had no idea."

"Well I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen!"

Jo spoke next, "Look Millie, if he stepped out of line…"

"No, it's OK. I can control him normally. It was just, well you know what people are like after a night out. He thought he'd try his luck."

"Just let us know if you want us to do something, " said Stevie, squeezing Millie's hand.

Sergeant Jo looked at her watch and addressed her troops."Right, you lot, you just about ready for your shift?"

"I'll see you at the briefing," said Millie going off to get ready. Not that she felt up to much after yesterday. All her crying seemed done, and she just felt numb.

When she was gone, Terry, Jo and Stevie shook their heads at Leon and Nate.

"What the hell were you thinking? You know what Matt's been like towards Millie. Why would you put her in a position like that?" asked Terry.

"I don't know, we just wanted to help her get over Max, that's all," replied Leon. "We thought maybe meeting someone new would be the shot."

"But, Matt Cooper! I mean Max was bad enough, but, don't you know any normal guys you could set her up with?" demanded Jo.

"Face it, matchmaking's not your forte," added Stevie. "Leave it to us girls, eh?"

They all left the canteen.

As Millie was getting ready her phone rang. She looked at the screen and saw the name 'Will' lit up. She eagerly answered it, and was somewhat disappointed to find out that it actually was Will.

"Hi Will, you been talking to Max?"

"Yeah, he told me you were taking a break. I thought I'd ring to see how you were coping."

"Thanks for that. What can I say? I'm stunned. I can't believe it. How's Max?"

"Putting on a brave front. Wondering if he's done the right thing."

"Really? Maybe you can talk some sense into him for me."

"No way. I'm staying out of it."

"But if you make him see reason."

"Sorry Mill. I hate to say it, but I think he's doing the right thing."

"What do you mean?"

"Come on Millie, you really hurt him. And you hurt his pride, which is a pretty major thing to us blokes."

"Will what are you saying? Do you think I'm in the wrong."

"Well, he's got a point hasn't he?"

"What?"

"He has a right to be upset. After all, you have been insensitive."

Since when had Will been Max's friend rather than hers? Millie wondered.

"Go on."

"Well first you're going on about how you're not sure you'll stick around. Then you're out in public in the arms of another man. Then you let some guy take you home, to Max's house mind you, when you're drunk and alone. How's he supposed to feel?"

Millie bit her lip and considered what Will had said.

"OK, but what can I do now."

"Just give it time. Let him throw himself into his work, then see what happens. He loves you so much Millie. I'm sure if you give him reason to trust you, he will again."

"Thanks Will. Look, my shift's about to start, I've gotta go. Give Max my love if you see him."

"Will do."

Millie hung up. She hoped to God that Will was right about Max.


	13. Back to Work

**Missing in Action**

Max slung his backpack on his shoulder, pulled the door of his flat shut and locked it behind him, then started jogging down the street. There was something to be said for leading a life in which you're not answerable to anyone, he thought as the cold air hit his face. He had decided he was going to jog to work from now on. He and Millie both liked to keep fit and so they often exercised together, but not as much as he would have liked and certainly nothing as ambitious as this. Will of course was telling him that his renewed interest in excessive exercise was sublimating the excess sexual tension not being with Millie was causing him. But it had only been a week since that night he had asked her to move out, and Max reflected he had many times gone a week without sex in the course of his life, so there must be more to it than simply that. Anyway, he was trying his hardest not to think too much about Millie. It only seemed to depress him.

At the station DI Ian Sutcliffe sat at his desk and leaned backwards in his seat. He was thinking about the newest member of his team, DS Max Carter. When Max had first started he was surprised how incongruous the way Max worked was with his reputation. Max had been described to him as living for and being obsessive about the job. To Ian's mind, however, the job had seemed like a secondary preoccupation to Max. It was as if he always had something on his mind. And Ian felt Max's attitude was affecting Will's work as well. He had always been happy with Will's approach to his work until now. But as he was fast beginning to think that Will and Max (and of course Faith) were the only detectives on his team that he could trust, he really needed them both to be in top form.

But then, suddenly, in the last week, everything had changed. Max seemed sharper, and more eager to throw himself into his work. He started to pursue any leads with gusto, to work not just on information fed to him but to follow up his own hunches as well. This was what Neil Manson had led him to expect of working with Max, and at last he felt that Neil was right.

Ian's thoughts were disturbed by a knock on the door.

"Faith," Ian looked up and gave her one of his half-smiles.

"Just some paperwork to sign Guv," said Faith smiling shyly back at him. She didn't try to make conversation, she stood and waited until he'd signed it, then turned to leave.

"Just a minute," Ian called after her.

"Guv?" Faith looked hopeful. She always liked it when he initiated their conversations.

"I just want your opinion on something. What do you think of DS Carter, as a member of this team?"

Faith pursed her lips. "Well, he's certainly not what I'd expected, given his reputation for being completely focused on the job. He's certainly chummy with Will, and I get the impression sometimes that they're laughing at us. I'm not sure why."

"I couldn't imagine why either," agreed Ian.

"Why do you ask Guv?"

"Well, I guess I trust your judgment," Faith hid her face because she could feel herself starting to blush. Ian was about to continue when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," he said.

Max entered the room. Both Faith and Ian were struck by how energised and ready to spring into action he seemed.

"Guv, Faith," said Max, nodding at both of them. He then turned his attention to the DI. "Sir, as you know two officers here, Kirk and Wood, have been repeatedly coming up in our investigation into the remnants of Curtis Jenson's empire. I've been observing them just now, and from what I've heard they seem to be planning to go to meet someone today. I was wanting to check with you if I could keep an eye on them if needed? Maybe with DC Fletcher?"

The DI nodded his consent. "That sounds appropriate. Will won't be in for a while though, so if they leave earlier perhaps Faith can go with you. Keep me up to date with what you're doing."

"Will do, Guv," said Max, leaving the room.

Faith smiled, and made her way out after him.

The DI was still sitting at his desk when 30 minutes later, DS Wood knocked on his door.

"Guv, DC Kirk and I have something we need to follow up. Do you mind if we disappear for an hour or so?"

"Go ahead," said Ian simply. "Keep in touch though, hey?"

"Guv," said Wood before closing the door behind him.

DI Sutcliffe sat and expected DS Carter to come and see him at any moment.

Max was sitting at his desk when he noticed Kirk and Wood leave the office and head down to the car park together. He was annoyed that Will still hadn't arrived. He looked around for Faith, but could find her anywhere either. And time was of the essence. Deciding there was nothing else to be done about it, DS Max Carter made his way out of the building in discreet pursuit of the suspect officers.

**Killed in Action**

Millie was in plain clothes as she was spending the day observing a café that the team at another station had identified as being a meeting place for Jenson cohorts. Millie was working with Banksy, which she enjoyed doing because unlike most of the other men she worked with, he didn't tease or treat her like a kid sister, but rather treated her an equal. Banksy had a soft spot for Millie too, which she presumed was because she was a redhead like his wife. Whatever the reason, the two of them spent a comfortable if somewhat uneventful morning drinking coffee and making conversation.

Despite the pleasant company, Millie was still feeling rather unsettled and if Banksy was more inquisitive he might have realised that she was spending a lot of time going back and forth to the toilet. Millie's period was now a week late, and it was really starting to worry her. There had been those two times during her last cycle in which she and Max had had unprotected sex, but neither time had been at what she would have considered a risky part of the cycle. However, in the research she had undertaken in the last week to reassure herself, she had discovered to her horror that sperm can live up to seven days after ejaculation, meaning that there was a possibility that their encounter early in her cycle could potentially lead to pregnancy. Another frightening revelation was that she could have ovulated late and therefore the second unprotected act could have been the winner. Either way, they had taken a bigger risk than she had at first thought.

She wished she could talk to Max about it, but she didn't feel she could contact him at the moment. Not that there were any strict guidelines in place, but he had said he wanted a 'break', and after speaking to Will she had concluding that allowing him one was the best thing to do. She wondered what he would read into her fears if she did contact him, if he would think they just a ploy to get him back where she wanted him. She told herself she didn't really believe she was pregnant anyway, but the later her period got the less confident she felt in this conviction.

She sat peering out the window deep in thought while Banksy manned the camera. Pointlessly it seemed. No one seemed to be coming or going, or at least not anyone who interested them. Most of the clientele of the café were there for a take away cuppa, and didn't communicate with anyone other than to order, nor did they hang around. Millie rolled her eyes at Banksy.

"You could always beguile us with one of your songs from Rocky Horror," suggested Banksy with a smile.

"Can you imagine what they would say if they walked in and caught me alone in a room with you singing 'Toucha Toucha Touch me'." replied Millie.

Bansky laughed. "How about another coffee?" he asked.

"Sounds great."

Banksy started towards the door when his phone rang. He picked it up to check who it was.

"Naomi," he said to Millie with a smile. Then he answered the phone.

Straight away Millie could tell that something was wrong. Banksy hung up and explained to her that his father had taken ill and he had to get to him straight away. He left with a wave, making a quick call to the station on the way. Millie looked at her watch. In an hour and a half, Nate and Rodge would be arriving to take their place here anyway. She was sure she could handle things by herself until then.

After about 20 minutes she heard footsteps on the stairs coming up towards her room. The door opened and DS Cooper walked in. He saw Millie, and smiled.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," Millie said back, also smiling. She hadn't seen him since that night, but she was determined not to let what happened affect their work relationship.

"Listen, about last week…"

"Forget it Sarge. I have."

"Thanks Millie. I was out of line. Maybe it was the full moon, or the alcohol. Anyway, I'm sorry."

Millie resumed her post at the window. DS Cooper didn't take Bansky's post at the camera, but sat on an armchair in the middle of the room.

"You're very clever, you know," he said suddenly.

Millie looked quizzical. What could he mean by that?

"How do you mean Sir?"

"Having everyone believing all this time that you and Max were separated, when you're more together than ever."

How ironic, Millie thought. Only a couple of weeks ago he would have been bang on the money.

"Sorry Sarge, you're mistaken. Max and I aren't together at all." She felt sad that she was actually telling the truth.

"Really? Why did you get me to drive you to his house then?"

"How do you know..?"

"Of course, with him working at the other station, it must be easier for you to maintain the charade. I was surprised to see you let me get as close to you as you did. But I suppose ultimately you were lucky Max decided to visit and was able to rescue you."

Millie couldn't think what to say, then the full significance of what he had said hit her. He had called Max by his name.

Millie looked at him. "How did you…?"

"How did I know it was him? Come on Millie, you don't think I know who the officers involved in one of the Met's biggest cases for the year were? The Jenson case has given you both quite the reputation, especially you."

"What sort of reputation?"

"Don't be modest, luv. I knew who you were before I met you. And then when I heard there was a vacancy for a DS at Sun Hill, where you worked, I knew I had to get it."

Millie was beginning to wish she had called for back-up.

"So convenient that you were the only ginger haired female PC at the station. And so susceptible to flattery! You never once questioned why I paid you attention! You just assumed I was attracted to you!" Here Cooper laughed sarcastically.

The smile left his face and was replaced with a look of contempt. "Why would I be attracted to you when I knew you were responsible for Curtis's death?"

Millie froze. "You called him…?"

"Curtis? Yeah, why shouldn't I? He was a good friend of mine, and he knew how to treat his friends. The girls, the boys, the wine, the drugs. It was quite a party we were having! And Curtis was always the life of the party. You see, it's not just the lifestyle he afforded us that we all miss, it's him as a person as well. You knew him. You liked him too, right?"

"I liked him a lot," agreed Millie cautiously. She could see it in Cooper's eyes quite clearly now. He despised her.

"He certainly liked you. Spoke a lot about his talented new singer, his funny new friend. And then, you let him die in front of you. Just like that."

"I fell and was unconscious. I tried to save him." Millie became agitated when reminded of failing to take care of Jenson. And her panic was increasing. She wished he wasn't between her and the door.

"You should have tried harder!!" Matt yelled at her, spitting out his fury right in her face. Millie didn't dare move.

Matt looked at her again, and smiled. "But never mind. We can't bring him back now. We can however, seek vengeance for his death."

Matt reached inside his jacket and pulled out a gun. Before Millie even had time to protest, he aimed and fired it at her chest.

Millie looked at him, stunned and felt her knees give way. She tasted blood in her mouth. With her final gasp she spoke the last thought in her head.

"Max," she said.

And then there was nothing.


	14. Breakthrough

**A Faint Pulse**

After the sound of the gun shot faded, Matt Cooper heard footsteps running through the building. Slipping the gun back into his jacket he ran out onto the landing and started down the stairs. Half way down he encountered PCs Roger Valentine and Nate Roberts.

"Did you see anyone?" Matt asked them as they nearly ran into him.

"No Sarge," replied Roger. "What's happened? We heard a gun fire!"

'"Someone's shot PC Brown. I saw them come down the stairs, but they must have slipped out the back. I'll keep chasing them. Come with me!"

"But.. but how's Millie?" Roger asked.

Matt shrugged his shoulders and made a sad face. "Dead unfortunately. Shot in the chest. Nothing we can do for her, so let's concentrate on catching her killer."

Matt dashed off and Roger and Nate looked at each other, not sure what to do.

"Sod this, I'm going to Millie!" said Roger to Nate, "You follow Matt."

Roger ran into the upstairs room, radioing for an ambulance as he went. He was amazed the DS hadn't called for one sooner. He looked at Millie lying there, and felt that this was just about the worst sight he'd seen in his years of policing. He was very fond of Millie. He thought about how they had clicked straight away, and the many times they had worked together and looked out for each other as friends. To see her lying there in a pool of blood almost made him vomit. But instead, he went to work. She wasn't showing any signs of life he could see. He decided all he could do was work at stopping the bleeding from her chest.

Fortunately, it didn't take long before he heard the sound of a siren, and he saw that the paramedics had arrived. Thank God, he thought. They dashed in and got to work on Millie.

"We have a faint pulse," one of them said, and Roger heaved a sigh of relief. They worked a bit longer and Millie spluttered back into life. She groggily opened her eyes, but they rolled straight back in her head as she went under again.

The paramedics worked on her until they felt confident to move her. They put her in the ambulance and headed to St Hugh's.

Police cordoned off the area and were soon swarming around, searching the area for suspects or at least a weapon. Pretty soon the word that Millie had been shot was all around Sun Hill station. Superintendent Meadows called Neil into his office to debrief.

"Firstly, how's Millie?" Jack asked.

Neil shook his head. "Not good Guv. She was hit squarely in the chest. They have managed to revive her, but I believe she's still unstable."

"Have you called her family?"

"Yes, her parents are on their way. I was thinking Sir, do you think we should call Max?"

Jack took a deep breath and thought for a moment. "No." he said finally. "They aren't together any more, and Max is on an important case. It would only put him off his game."

Neil wasn't happy with this response, but what could he do? The Super was probably right.

"So," continued Jack. "Do we have any idea who shot her?"

"None. No weapon has been found, no one unusual was seen entering or leaving the building. The only people we know of who entered were Banksy, DS Cooper, and PCs Valentine and Roberts. DS Cooper apparently saw someone running down the stairs, but we have yet to get a full description from him."

"Right. OK, we'll get Matt in to answer some questions as soon as he returns to the station."

"And by the way Guv, Roger commented that DS Cooper's behaviour was strange."

"How so?"

"Just that he told Roger and Nate not to bother going to check on Millie, because she was already dead. Roger disobeyed him, luckily. Cooper hadn't even called an ambulance. We're not even sure why Cooper was there in the first place. And of course he's the only one who said there was someone running away from the scene."

"So we have to consider him a suspect then you think? Well we'll find out what he has to say. In the meantime, we search the area and after that, well, I guess we pray."

In the ambulance Millie faded in and out a few times. One time she regained consciousness enough to grab the arm of the paramedic and whisper to him.

"Period…late…"

He looked alarmed. "What Luv, are you saying you're pregnant?"

"No, maybe."

"I'll tell the doctor for you. Anyone else you want to mention it to?"

"No!" Millie mustered all her small amount of strength to answer that. The she grabbed his arm again and said, "Max."

"Matt? That policeman that was there?"

"No, M... A... X…" Millie faded out again, and the paramedics rushed to revive her.

Millie was in a state of semi-consciousness as they arrived at the hospital and the paramedic spoke to the doctor.

"She thinks she could be pregnant but she isn't sure."

The doctor nodded, "I'll do a test, but I don't think a very immature embryo would survive this."

"I know. And she doesn't want anyone to know except some guy called Max."

"Baby's father?"

"Presume so."

"OK."

Millie heard the clang of the double doors against the trolley as they wheeled her in to surgery.

**Max On The Job **

Two days later, as Millie's life hung by a thread, Max was once again putting his own at risk by single-handedly pursuing Kirk and Wood. His separation from Millie had made him slightly reckless. It was like he suddenly had nothing to lose. He would never have guessed that his fears about Millie were affecting his concentration so much, and he felt that for the time being at least, being apart from her would only make him work better.

He followed Kirk and Wood in his car at a discreet distance. Max was thankful they were taking major roads, because it meant his car wasn't the only one taking the same route as theirs. Eventually they turned off the main drag and were heading towards an industrial estate. The area was such that a vehicle could not travel at speed, nor were there many other cars in the vicinity. Max decided to park his car and keep an eye on them on foot.

A short while later, as Max hid behind one of the many buildings of which the estate consisted, he saw the car stop some distance away, and Kirk and Wood get out to meet another man, who shook their hands and walked with them into a building. Max waited until they were safely inside, then hurried over to the building.

Max carefully made his way over to the large warehouse-like structure. He found an entrance way and tentatively peeked around the doorway to suss out the scene. He saw that the doorway led to a mezzanine level, and he crept out and peered from it to the area beneath. There he could see Kirk, Wood and the other man in a large, partially empty space. They seemed to be checking the area out, and as Max could hear their voices echoing in the vast expanse of the warehouse, he stopped moving and tried to catch what they were saying.

"…shipment on Wednesday," he caught the anonymous man saying. "Should be plenty of room for everything here. Mind you, it won't have to be stored here long. You remember what Curtis used to say, 'Keep it moving and no one will find it'."

"So are we using the usual lines of distribution?" asked Wood.

"Mostly. Bill is still expecting his share at Longmarsh of course. Losing Curtis's clubs has naturally curbed our style a bit."

"So what are the arrangements then?" said Kirk.

"Wednesday, here at 5 am. Transportation method, same as before. I expect you two to keep your colleagues in the dark and out of our way?"

"No problem," said Wood. "Say, did I tell you we recently had that Carter join our team?"

"The one Curtis clobbered just before his death? Any chance you can fool him into coming along on Wednesday? It would be good to pay him back for his part in Curtis's downfall."

Wood smiled, "I reckon we could. He fancies himself as a bit of a dare devil. Leave it with me."

Max heard these words and realised he had just been given the perfect opportunity to work from the inside of the operation. He crept out the door and made his way back to the car, then drove back to the station.

On returning, he went straight into DI Sutcliffe's office. The Super was in Ian's office as well and neither of them were pleased.

"Max, this is the second time you have deliberately disobeyed my orders and gone out on your own. Can you explain yourself?"

"Look Guv, I had to act quickly, and anyway, I've been able to get hold of vital information that may well blow this case apart!"

"That's well and good DS Carter," said the Super, "But we're dealing with a highly volatile situation here. These men think they've got the best of both worlds, and we can only imagine how the might react if they felt under threat."

"What are we going to do about Wednesday then?" asked Max, who was unfazed, being quite used to getting dressed down by his superiors.

The Super's phone rang and she left the room to answer it.

The DI sighed, "Well we'll have to set something up, obviously. When the Super returns we'll see what she thinks about letting you go along as Wood suggested. She may think it's too risky though."

The Super returned to the room with a solemn look on her face. The DI asked her what their plan of action was.

"For the moment, I think it's best, DS Carter if you go home, and maybe catch up on a few things before you're thrown deeper undercover. You know, ring your family, that type of thing. You're dismissed for the moment."

She held the door open for a surprised Max to leave. He felt he had no other option but to obey.

The DI was none too pleased that the Super had dismissed Max before he was through with him.

"Ma'am, with all due respect, I wasn't finished with DS Carter and…"

"Look Ian, I don't think we'll be getting much work out of Max for a while anyway. That was Superintendent Meadows. It appears that Millie Brown has been shot. Max's mother would have left messages for him to that effect."

"Shot? Is she..?"

"Let's just say, it's not looking good."


	15. Mother and Son

**The Mother in Law **

While Max was out spying on Kirk and Wood, a shortish, not quite elderly lady made her way to the front counter at Sun Hill station and pressed the bell. Soon a young PC in a uniform appeared and smiled at her. What a sweet old grandma, he thought to himself.

"Can I help you ma'am?" he asked smiling.

The woman nodded. "Yes, I'm here to ask about my son. And about my daughter-in-law. I can't get in touch with either of them."

"I see," replied the PC, "You want to report them as Missing Persons."

"No." The woman lifted a hand from the handbag she was clutching and waved it dismissively. "They both work here, and I wanted to know where they are."

"OK..." There was apparently more to this than met the eye. "What are their names?"

"My son's name is Max Carter, and my daughter-in-law is called Millie Brown."

Jo happened to be standing near the counter and overheard this exchange. Daughter-in-law? This was intriguing. And in light of Millie's condition, a sensitive touch was needed. Better leave it to the top brass.

"Mrs. Carter," she said smiling. "I'm Sergeant Jo Masters. Would you like to come this way and I'll get DI Manson to have a word with you? Mel, will you take care of Mrs. Carter, maybe get her a cup of tea?"

"Coffee," interjected Mrs. Carter.

Jo walked up the stairs to DI Manson's office, leaving Mel to deal with Mrs. Carter. As luck would have it, the Super was in there as well.

"Guv, a woman claiming to be Max Carter's mother is at the front desk asking where Max is."

Neil and Jack looked at each other. "She doesn't know he's transferred?" asked Neil, maintaining Max's cover.

"Apparently not. Also, she says she is here looking for her daughter-in-law, Millie Brown, who she also hasn't heard from."

Jack and Neil looked at each other again, this time with expressions of surprise.

"OK, thanks Jo. We better handle it from here. Come on Neil." Jack and Neil made their way into the room in which Mel and Mrs. Carter were waiting. Mel looked somewhat relieved when they asked her to leave.

"Mrs. Carter, I'm Superintendent Jack Meadows, this is Detective Inspector Neil Manson."

Mrs. Carter acknowledged them both, raising an eyebrow and looking distinctly unimpressed by their ranks. These silly men with their silly names, she thought. Who are they trying to impress? This one especially looked too old to be playing cops and robbers.

"Mr. Meadows," she replied. "I can't get in touch with my son. Millie said he was on a case, but now she doesn't answer the phone at their place either. Where are they?"

It was becoming obvious that Max and Millie had been giving two different stories. But to whom exactly had they been lying? Both Jack and Neil could see why a son might want to lie to a mother like Mrs. Carter

"Mrs. Carter," continued Neil. "It's true Max is on a case at the moment and is difficult to contact. But as to Millie, well, we were under the impression that Millie and Max were no longer together."

"No! Have you seen them together? They are very much in love!"

"I'm just telling you what Max told us the situation was."

Mrs. Carter frowned. "Since when?" she asked.

Neil thought, "Several months ago, I would think."

Mrs. Carter waved a hand again and smiled. "Well, they were very much together when they were at my place four weeks ago, and when I spoke to Millie since then. They haven't told you everything, but I guess they have their reasons."

Neil and Jack were both aware of the ramifications on various things of Max and Millie's deception. Max had obviously wanted to be involved in the case really badly.

Jack crossed the room and sat down beside Mrs. Carter. In light of these revelations, he had something unpleasant to tell her.

"As to Millie, Mrs. Carter, well, I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. Millie's currently in St Hugh's hospital. She been shot and her condition isn't really stable. Her parents are with her. We're not sure if she's going to pull through."

Mrs. Carter's face plainly showed her shock and her anger. "My Millie in hospital, and no one told me? Who's looking after her?"

"As I said her parents are there…"

"Her parents? Bah, first time I've heard of them being around. If you'll excuse me I'd better get down there right away. Millie needs me."

Mrs. Carter stood and nodded to the two men, then hurried out the door.

Neil and Jack looked at each other again.

"So," Neil said. "Max lied."

"It would seem so," said Jack.

"And so when we told Millie's parents that Max and Millie had split up, we were wrong, and all we achieved was making them feel like they'd never really known their dying daughter."

Jack didn't say anything.

Neil continued "Should I contact Max now then, about Millie?"

Jack nodded in the direction of the front doors, "I don't think there's any need. I think his mother will beat you to it."

From her car Mrs. Carter made a mobile phone call to her son. She grunted in frustration when it went to voicemail.

"Darling it's your mother. I need you to contact me straight away. It's an emergency. And I don't mean an emergency like one your third cousins or great uncles, I mean like someone very, very close to you. Call me as soon as you get this. I love you."

Mrs. Carter made her way to the hospital and to Millie's room. She went up to and kissed Millie's bewildered and exhausted looking parents and introduced herself to them. She explained to them that her son and Millie were still a couple and she had called Max to let him know about Millie. She offered to get them tea. She rang her daughter and commanded her to bring over a hot meal for them all, pronto. Then she went over to the bed where Millie lay amongst the tubes and machines, kissed her forehead and patted her hand.

"We'll get you through this darling," she whispered. She then took out her rosary beads and started to pray.

"Err, excuse me, but we're not religious," said Millie's father pompously.

Mrs. Carter smiled, "God won't mind," she said and went back to her prayers. Mrs. Brown gave her husband a sharp nudge when he started to try and stop Mrs. Carter again. She could see there was no point!

The day wore on and the night came, and the meal brought by Max's sister had been eaten. Mrs. Carter put her arms around Mr. and Mrs. Brown.

"Now," she said. "You two are going to go stay at my place and get a good sleep. It's not far, and I'll take care of our girl for the night. I can always call if anything happens. But you heard the doctors, there's not much point staying here, and you need a rest. What do you say?"

After two days and nights at Millie's side, the idea was very tempting. They accepted Mrs. Carter's offer and let Max's sister drive them to the Carter home.

**Mother and Son**

When Max returned to his flat that night, he checked his voicemail messages from his private phone, which he didn't take with him to work. He heard the unusual message from his mother. It was the kind of thing he generally ignored, because she was always overreacting, but something about this call made him worry. He dialed her number.

His sister answered and was surprisingly vague. She just told him to try their mother on her mobile. The fact that his mother was out so late at night was strange, and served to increase his concern. He rang her mobile.

"Max," his mother answered.

"Ma, what's up?"

"Darling, are you sitting?"

"You are really worrying me…"

"Sorry darling but there's no easy way to say this. Millie's been shot."

Max, who hadn't been sitting, sank into his seat.

"Is she…" he couldn't bring himself to say the word.

"No, but she's not good. She's at St Hugh's. I'm there now. I sent her parents home to our place to rest."

"I'm on my way."

"See you soon darling."

Max raced out to the car and drove to the hospital. When he arrived he saw his mother at Millie's bedside, nodding off. She woke and stood up and squeezed his hand.

"I'll leave you alone for a moment," she said quietly, leaving the room.

He sat down beside the bed and looked at Millie. She had tubes coming out of her nose and throat, wires everywhere, and it was obvious from the enormous dressing on her chest just where she'd been hit. Not a good spot, Max could see immediately. He looked at her face and brushed her cheek. He remembered how, the last time he saw her, he had made her sleep in the spare bed. He had said he wanted a break and now there was a chance he might lose her forever, without ever having got to say sorry.

He held her hand and kissed it. He looked around the room and noticed an enormous bunch of red roses. Despite his feelings of guilt at having doubted her, he had to see who they were from. He picked up the card and read it. It said 'To Millie, I'm sorry, Love Banksy and Naomi'. Banksy? thought Max. What did he have to be sorry for? Well, he obviously liked redheads. Max told himself to shut up and stop thinking about Millie like that. Hadn't his suspicious mind caused enough problems already?

He went and sat back down by the bed, just as his mother returned. She came and stood beside him and put her arm around his shoulder.

"How are you son? It's quite a shock eh?" she said.

Max just nodded. He couldn't speak.

"Why did they tell me at the station you had broken up with Millie? They told her parents that too. They were really upset."

Another thing for Max to feel ashamed of! He replied, "It was just…easier at work, I…" Tears started to come to his eyes.

Mrs. Carter pulled him closer to her. "There, there Son, talk to your mother," she said, rocking him gently.

Max told it as simply as he could. "I saw Millie hugging an old friend, I got jealous, I told her I wanted a break. I made her sleep in the spare bed on our last night together. I told her I wanted her to move out. And now I may have lost her forever and the last conversation we had I made her cry…"

Mrs. Carter put both arms around her son as he wept like he hadn't wept since he was a boy, in that same secure place in his mother's arms. With tears in her own eyes, all Mrs. Carter could do was hold her son, and wish that just like that time when he was a boy, she could make this hurt go away with just a kiss and a band aid.


	16. Lady Lazarus

**The Vigil**

Max woke up the next morning in the same position in which he had fallen asleep the night before: sitting in the chair beside Millie's bed slumped forward with his head on the bed beside her. He woke up and rubbed his eyes. He remembered how his mother had gone home late in the night (to cook she said, but he hoped she'd got some sleep too). He saw that it was 7 am, and presumed his mother, or at least Millie's parents would be returning soon. He went into the little bathroom beside Millie's room and showered in preparation for facing Millie's other visitors.

A doctor was with Millie when Max returned.

"I haven't seen you here before," he said, holding out his hand.

"I'm Max Carter, Millie's…"

"Millie's partner. Yes, she mentioned your name in one of her lucid moments. Max, can I have a word with you? Just come outside for a moment."

Max followed the doctor out of Millie's room. He got the impression the doctor wanted to speak to him out of Millie's hearing.

"Look Max, were you aware Millie thought she might be pregnant?" As soon as he spoke the words, it was obvious Max's answer would be in the negative, judging from Max's stunned expression.

"OK, obviously not. Let me explain. She wasn't sure, but she felt the paramedics should know just in case. She also said not to mention it to anyone but you, so your mother and her parents have no idea."

"So, is she pregnant?" asked Max.

"No," replied the doctor simply. "I don't believe she was pregnant at all. Her pregnancy hormone levels would have fallen as a result of the something going wrong because of the shooting, but they just didn't seem to be high enough to indicate that she ever had been pregnant. How does that make you feel?" The doctor kindly put a hand on Max's arm.

"Relieved, I guess," said Max, not really knowing what to feel.

"Her period was apparently late, but there must have been another explanation as to why. Was she particularly stressed or anything in recent times, do you know?"

_Of course she was_, thought Max, _her boyfriend was threatening to throw her out of their home._ "Yeah, there were a few things going on," he told the doctor. "So what else can you tell me about how she is?"

The doctor smiled. "Actually, I'm quite pleased with her this morning. Things seem to have stabilised. Of course with a wound like that, you never can tell, and she did lose a lot of blood, but the bullet didn't get to anything vital, thank God. Let's just say I'm cautiously optimistic today. Now, here are the rest of Millie's supporters."

Max's mother and Millie's parents walked up to them. The doctor left them to talk to Max. Everyone was happy to hear that the doctor thought Millie was improved today. They all walked back into Millie's room and Mrs. Carter sat her son down to eat the eggs and toast she had prepared for his breakfast, while Mr. Brown went to buy them all coffees.

While Max appreciated the support of having family around, he needed time to take in properly what the doctor had just told him. Millie had thought she was pregnant. She had had to deal with the fear alone. She had obviously felt that she couldn't contact him about it, because she didn't try. Max feelings of shame were getting worse and worse.

He looked through the glass windows of Millie's room to see DI Manson standing out there. He got up and walked out to see him.

"Guv," he said. "Thanks for coming by."

Neil placed an uncertain hand on Max's arm. "How are you Max?"

"Ah, you know. Look, about what we told you about Millie's and my relationship…"

"Yeah, that was a bit of a problem. We didn't feel any need to contact you when Millie was shot, for one thing. But let's worry about that later, eh? How's Millie?"

"The doctor thinks she's improving today," said Max. "Seems like I'm copping the easier part of the process, as I missed the two days of uncertainty."

"You don't look like you're getting it easy to me. Do you, um, need to talk to someone? You look like there's something on your mind."

Max considered this offer, and thought, what the hey? He was sure Neil could keep a secret, and having a kid of his own, he might have some insight into the workings of a woman's mind regarding such matters. He pulled Neil aside.

"There is something actually. Millie told the doctors she thought she was pregnant, but they've now told me that was unlikely."

This was more of a confidence than Neil expected. "Max, I don't know what to say! Were you trying for a baby?"

"No, not at all. But, you've dealt with pregnant women before, what do I say to her when she comes to?"

Neil had, and he knew how delicate this type of conversation could be. "I would say you try to be sympathetic about it, but don't look like you're disappointed or she may feel she's let you down. Are you disappointed?"

"I, er, don't know…"

"OK, well just try to focus on her feelings then." He patted Max awkwardly on the arm again.

The two men avoided looking at each other for a moment, then Max said, "So, any ideas who shot Millie?"

"None," said Neil. "Whoever it was fled the scene quick smart. No gun's been found. I'll let you know the minute we hear anything. Well, I'd best be off. Give these flowers to Millie for me. See you later Max."

"Guv."

Neil walked passed Millie's parents and Max's mother on his way out and nodded a hello. Mrs. Carter spoke once he was out of earshot.

"These grown men, playing with their guns! Tell me, do you think Millie will go back to police work after this?"

Mrs. Brown sighed. "Probably. It's not the job we'd choose for her."

Mrs. Carter nodded, "I know what you mean. Every day you worry because she's out risking her life! And for what?"

Millie's left wing leaning father was excited, "I couldn't agree with you more, Mrs. Carter. Let's hope this has knocked some sense into the girl, and maybe into your lad as well."

Mrs. Carter rolled her eyes and nodded, "I say to them both 'What's going to happen when you have children? Who will take care of them when you're both killed?' But, they don't listen."

"Are you talking about me Ma?" said Max, approaching them.

"No, we were talking about your silly job. I see Millie's parents feel the same why I do."

"Let's not argue, hey? I'm going back to sit with Millie now."

"All right Son. We will bring you some food soon."

Max smiled. The one thing you could depend on in life was that his mother would be bringing food.

**Sleeping Beauty**

That night the parents all returned to the Carter house, while Max maintained his vigil at Millie's bedside. He fell asleep, as he had done the night before, in a chair by her bed with his head resting on the bed beside her.

At about four in the morning, Millie blinked, then opened her eyes. It took her a while to focus on the world around her, or keep her eyes open very long. Soon however she realised that she was in a hospital, and she remembered what had happed. DS Cooper had shot her and she had thought she was dead. Apparently she wasn't. She glanced down at her chest and saw the size of the dressing on her chest. How did she survive that? To confirm she was alive she raised her hand and wiggled her fingers. Then she looked to her other hand and saw a head of brown hair on the bed beside her. She smiled, then tears came to her eyes. Her Max had returned to her.

She decided to let Max sleep for a little longer while she acclimatised to being conscious again. She didn't quite trust herself just yet that it was in fact him lying there, after all last she heard he wanted a break from her, and it might just be some sort of wishful thinking to envision him there. Or perhaps, she reflected, she was actually dead and heaven had turned out to be simply the realisation of your dearest dreams. But seeing her cherished childhood dog, Jojo, hadn't made an appearance yet, she didn't think the heaven idea was likely.

It was time to try out connecting with the world again. She ran her fingers through the brown thatch of Max's hair. The sensation woke Max, who turned his startled face towards her and looked up at her smiling one. He sat up and looked at her in amazement. Max put his arm around Millie, moving tentatively due to Millie's injuries.

"Hey Sleeping Beauty," he whispered.

"Does that make you Prince Charming?" Millie whispered back.

"I haven't been very charming lately," admitted Max hanging his head.

"You're a Neanderthal all right," said Millie, "But you're my Neanderthal. Are you here to stay?"

Max picked up her hand and kissed it. "I'm never leaving you again. See what happens?"

Millie looked serious suddenly. "Max, I just wanted to say, I'm sorry for everything…"

"Don't be, my darling. I'm sorry I overreacted. I should have trusted you. I shouldn't have treated you like that…"

"I was selfish and stubborn, and I should have tried to understand what you were feeling instead of proving my point,"

"Let's just forget it hey? We're both sorry, we're both forgiven. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Do you want me to call your family?"

"Where are they?"

"Staying with my folks."

"As if they're not going through enough!"

"Funny girl. I suppose we should call a nurse to look at you."

"I already did." The sound of heels clicking on the lino floor was getting closer. "By the way, have they caught Matt Cooper yet?"

"Why?" asked Max.

"For this! He shot me. He's one of Jenson's coppers."

Max wished he'd throttled Matt like he'd be tempted to that night he drove Millie home. So this guy had been stalking Millie! Max wondered if killing her had been his plan all along.

The nurse entered the room.

"I'll ring the station while you're with the nurse," said Max, pulling out his phone and getting up. He rang Sun Hill station. Sergeant Stone answered the phone.

'Callum, it's Max Carter. Yeah, I'm good thanks… I'm actually there right now…She's just woken up and seems OK… Yeah, it's great news. Say are any of the big nobs around? I know it's early Sunday morning and all, but… Yeah, Smithy will do… Thanks… Yep, I'll tell her."

'Hey Smithy… Yep, there right now. Look Millie's just woken up… yeah, she seems good, but I thought you should know that she says DS Matt Cooper was the one who shot her. That's all she's said so far. So can you keep that to yourself til you can tell Manson or the Super?... Yeah, they can ring me whenever. Thanks Dale, see you later."

Millie walked back into the room. He saw Millie had a glum look on her face.

"Apart from being in hospital and having a selfish boyfriend, what's wrong?" he asked taking her hand.

"Nothing. I just remembered something I had been worrying about before this happened," she replied.

Max guessed what was probably on her mind: her possible pregnancy. He didn't know if or how he should bring it up. He figured that considering her fragile state at the moment, it was best to encourage her to talk about things rather than bottling them up. He decided to be be brave.

"You know, the doctor had a word to me before, in private," he began.

Millie's interested was piqued. "Really, and…?"

"He said that you thought you might be, um, pregnant, so he did some tests and…" Max looked at Millie, who seemed to be hanging on his every word.

"And? And?" she said, then closed her eyes, in the expectation of his next words being the ones to answer the question currently plaguing her thoughts.

Max bit the bullet, "He said it was unlikely you were ever pregnant. He figured your period was probably late due to stress."

Millie swallowed and nodded. Then Max saw the tears welling in her eyes. He put his arms around her and held her as tightly as he dared.

"My love, are you disappointed? I didn't realise you wanted to have a baby yet."

"I didn't want to be pregnant, in fact I was really pissed off to think I was, but knowing I wasn't is somehow sad…"

"I know. The idea was a complete surprise to me and I was kind of disappointed too. But think of it this way. If you had been pregnant and you were shot, even if you had survived the baby might not have. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I do, and I know you're right. I'm sorry Max, I think I'm going to be a bit touchy about everything for a little while. When Matt shot me, I really thought I had died."

Max, who had had no experience of being shot, but had shot a couple of people who had in fact died, felt the fear of not just Millie but his own victims.

"Well, thank God you've come back to life hey?" He kept his arms around her and felt her cling to him as much as her diminished strength would allow. Thank God indeed, he repeated in his head.


	17. The Case Continues

Thanks to EmilyTennant for her editorial comment on the last chapter. It has been fixed!

**Getting Millie's Blessing**

"Well," said Millie mournfully from her hospital bed. "I guess I'll never be able to wear anything off the shoulder or low cut again."

Max was becoming a bit concerned about Millie's mood. It was of course understandable that she be a bit depressed, what with being confined to a hospital bed and dealing with the consequences of being Cooper's target and all, but Millie seemed to be managing to dredge up more and more things to worry about, some of them quite illogical and obscure.

"Will you want me even if I have a great big scar across my chest?" asked Millie pouting.

This particular losing-her-looks line of worry was her Monday morning theme, and no matter how many times Max told her she was beautiful, no other woman compared to her, that she was the sexiest thing on earth and he'd do her right then and there despite all the tubes coming out of her to prove it etc, she would not be reassured. Max wondered why the sudden concern about her appearance anyway, but once she mentioned her fear of being scarred by the shooting, it all suddenly made sense.

So what could he say to allay her concerns? He had tried being loving and reassuring, he had tried being affectionate, he had tried getting their parents to support him in his assertions of her beauty, and everything he tried had seemed to fail. He decided that the time to be sensitive had passed, and he would simply have to move on his next fail-safe method of cheering her up. Humour had got them through many a dire, if not life-threatening situation, and Max was hoping it would work now.

"Well…" he said directing his gaze to the floor because he knew if he looked at Millie he'd lose his nerve, "I'm sure we could get you a good plastic surgeon. Maybe you could even get an augmentation while you were at it?"

Max looked up at her with a complete poker face. Millie stared back at him with her jaw dropped.

"What?" Max replied feigning ignorance. "Damn, did I say that out loud? I should have just slipped the surgeon some extra money while you were under and kept quiet, right?"

Luckily, Max's gamble seemed to have paid off. Millie reached as far as her injuries and machinery would let her and slapped Max's chest in mock indignation.

Max, who was sitting on the bed beside Millie, picked up her arm and shook it gently. He then put a hand on the bed either side of her and moved his face in closer to her. "Ooo, look at you, you're weak as a kitten," he moved in still closer and started kissing her, "I could so easily overpower you and have my way with you…"

"MAX!" came the voice of Mrs. Carter, who had entered the room unseen by Max (but not Millie) and was staring in horror at her son, who jumped noticeably when she said his name. "Only two days ago the poor girl was unconscious, and now here you are treating her like your toy! She's not just there for your selfish needs! Shame on you!" The final part of her speech was made sotto voce because she knew Millie's parents were close behind her.

Even if Max's attempt at lightening Millie's mood had failed, seeing Mrs. Carter berate her son like that certainly did the trick. Max looked at Millie, who looked back at him with a smile on her face and her eyes dancing with laughter, as if they were singing mockingly to him "You got caught! You got caught!". So, despite his mother's scolding and despite the fact that both Millie's parents were in earshot, Max leaned closer to Millie and said, "I love you Millie," and then he kissed her. Millie put her hand on his face and looked intently back at him, and remembered how a few short months ago he claimed to be incapable of saying those very words.

Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Carter exchanged a significant look, while Mr. Brown looked over at his little girl with what looked suspiciously like a tear in his eye. Neither Max nor Millie paid attention to any of them.

This happy family scene was soon disturbed by a knock on the door announcing the arrival of Superintendent Meadows and DI Manson. Mr. Brown opened the door for them and he and his wife left Max and Millie with their visitors. Mrs. Carter looked Jack and Neil up and down, then gave Millie and Max a look that said 'Do you want me to take care of these two for you?'. Max pushed his mother unceremoniously out the door. Millie's face lit up once again with delight at seeing Max embarrassed by his mother twice within the space of a few minutes.

Jack caught the expression on Millie's face, and beamed back at her. "Well then, someone looks very much like they're on the mend!" He placed the flowers he had brought on her bedside table and bent down to kiss her cheek. He realised his feelings towards his younger female officers were becoming more and more paternal as the years went on, especially after his promotion. He wished he didn't have to scold her and Max for lying.

"Now then, you two, explain yourselves. Why lie about your relationship? Max, Millie could have died and we wouldn't have thought there was any need to tell you. And Millie, what if something similar had happened to Max? Not to mention, both of you could have jeopardised the case if your attachment were to affect your judgement. There's a reason that we're careful about putting married officers or parents in risky situations, you know."

Millie knew Max wasn't in the habit of making excuses for himself, no matter who was demanding them, so she took it on herself to answer, "Sir, I think we just got sick of being asked questions about our relationship, so in the end it was just easier to let people think we weren't together. And of course, neither of us wanted to miss the opportunity to finalise the Jenson case."

Neil responded, "We understand all that Millie. I myself had to have words to CID about them teasing Max. But in the future, at least trust your superior officers, agreed?"

"Sir," said Millie and Max in unison.

Max continued, "So any word on Cooper yet?"

Neil shook his head. "Not really. Unfortunately for us he's had a long weekend scheduled. He came in and filled out a statement and made up a bogus description of an assailant, but we really had no evidence to charge him with. Until Millie's testimony came through of course."

Neil looked over at Jack who continued, "We've been speaking to Superintendent Jill Lees at your new station Max, and we've formulated a plan of attack. But we need to see how you feel about a few things first, especially you Millie."

"Go on," said Millie.

"Well, in a nutshell our idea is to let Cooper and his cronies think that they've succeeded in killing you. Basically we let everybody, except a selected few officers think that you've taken a turn for the worse and have died. How do you feel about that?"

The look that Max cast at Jack when he said this spoke volumes about he felt about tempting fate like that. But he could also see the wisdom behind it.

Millie spoke again, "So you want to let them think that they're so far undetected and let them carry out the plans Max overheard them arranging, then catch them in the act?"

"Precisely," said Neil.

"And we want to ask you, Millie. How do you feel about letting us borrow Max? He has a particular part to play in this mission."

Millie frowned. "So you want my permission to use Max as a target?" she said.

Jack corrected her, "We want your permission to let Max complete the mission. That is if Max is interested?"

Max looked at Millie and took her hand. Millie was worried, but what could she do? She knew how much he loved his job. She had to admit that if she were in his place, she would do the same thing. Would she want Max to stop her if she had the chance to be instrumental in the conclusion of this case?

"Well..." she said eventually. "Are you interested?"

"I am," replied Max. "But if you want me to stay with you, of course I will."

Millie released his hand, "Go," she said. "But I want you to come back to me in one piece."

"I will," said Max.

Neil and Jack rose to leave.

"Max, this afternoon Superintendent Lees and a couple of her officers are meeting us at Sun Hill to discuss tactics. Can you be there at 1430 hrs?" asked Jack.

"Yes, Guv," said Max.

Jack and Neil got up to leave. Neil added, "And we'll be posting officers here to watch over Millie while all this is happening. We've chosen four: PCs Valentine, Taylor & Roberts and Sergeant Masters. They'll be the only ones at Sun Hill, apart from us and Inspector Smith, who'll know Millie's true condition."

Their visitors departed, leaving Max and Millie alone in the room.

"You know what," said Millie, "the hard part's not convincing me to let you go. It's going to be convincing your mother."

**Two Worlds Collide**

Max stood by the window in Millie's room talking to his mother, watching from the corner of his eye as Will Fletcher sat at Millie's bedside, laughing and talking animatedly to her. He wondered to himself if they'd always behaved like this together, and if so, why he had never noticed this at work and found it curious? Such ruminations were strangely more desirable to him right at that moment than having to listen to his mother's lectures about why he shouldn't go back to work and see this case through; which was the conversation he was currently enduring.

"Even if you care nothing about your own life, what about Millie? What if something happens to you? Do you realise what that could do to her fragile health? It could kill her! And how am I as your mother supposed to feel, knowing that this case cost me a son, as well as almost costing me a daughter-in-law? Selfish, that's what you are! I know motherhood is all about suffering but…"

Will looked up and caught Max's eye, letting him know that it was time for them to leave to go to Sun Hill. Will kissed Millie goodbye and made his way over to Mrs. Carter, trying to keep her occupied while Millie and Max had their last moments together.

Millie looked reproachfully at Max.

"Don't," he said to her. "I've just had to go through all of this with Mum. And I know darn well that me seeing this case through is what you want."

Millie reached out and grabbed his hand and sighed. "It is, but now that it's come to actually having to watch you leave, I've become a coward. It just seems so much easier to say stay here with me and let everyone else take care of it now."

Max pulled her close to him and held her. "That would be heaven," he agreed kissing her hair, "but we both know how things really are. I'd better go now; Will's chivalry can only keep my mother occupied for so long." He kissed her again. "I love you, you know. Keep getting better, and I'll see you soon."

Millie hugged Max as hard as she could, "I love you too. Promise me you'll return?"

"You bet I will! I saw just now how keen Will was to move in on you." Max got up from the bed and slowly dropped Millie's hands.

Mrs. Carter walked over and gave her son a kiss - and then a glare - in parting. "Take care," she said, avoiding looking him in the eye. She walked to the bed and put her arm around Millie. The two of them sat there and watched as Max and Will walked out of the room.

Just as Max and Will pulled into the car park at Sun Hill, Superintendent Lees, DI Sutcliffe and DC Faith Desai were making their way into the station. Max and Will both noticed that the Super's skirt seemed even shorter and tighter than usual, and the button restraining her shirt seemed to have a more tenuous hold on her bosom as well. They got the impression that she had made a special effort to dress up for this visit.

Inside the station, everyone's faces lit up at the sight of Will, but looked uncomfortable at the sight of Max. No one quite knew how to respond to someone whose ex-girlfriend had just died. They didn't know whether to offer sympathy or say nothing, and anyway, Max had always been a bit prickly so relating to him under normal circumstances was difficult enough! So people tended to shake Will's hand, nod at Max and then quickly look away.

They reached the briefing room, in which Jack, Neil, Stevie and Terry were waiting for them. The officers from the two teams mingled and introductions were made. Max and Will naturally already knew everyone there. Terry had approached Max and offered his condolences over Millie. The two DIs discussed the case in the expressionless way that was customary to both of them. Max and Will then watched with special interest at the two Supers interacting.

Superintendent Lees wiggled her way over to Superintendent Meadow and sat on the edge of his desk, swinging the leg that wasn't supporting her. She placed her hand behind her on the desk and leant back on her arms. This added additional strain to the button on her shirt, which made Max and Will hold their breaths in the expectation the button would ping off into the air at any second. Jack leant back in his office chair and looked her up and down.

"Jack," Superintendent Lees purred as her free leg swung back and forth.

"Jill," Jack replied in his husky Northern tones.

The two Supers said no more, just held each other's stare, while Will tried not to laugh out loud when Max whispered "I never realised Jack was such a narcissist" in his ear. Faith Desai, who was standing behind them, also sniggered.

The two senior officers were called back to reality by the approach of their two DIs, both of whom were keen to get the plan of attach sorted.

DI Sutcliffe spoke first. "OK, as you know DS Carter last week overheard two suspect officers, DS Wood and DC Kirk, make plans with an as yet unidentified third man to meet for the delivery of a shipment at a industrial estate local to our nick. One of the two officers made the comment that they could invite DS Carter along, with a view to paying him back for his involvement in Curtis Jenson's death. DS Carter was keen to undertake this role."

DI Manson continued, "So, the idea is for Max to return to work today in the hope of them inviting him along. Wednesday is the day this is all meant to take place, correct?"

"Correct," agreed Max.

Jack spoke next, "Right, so while Max is keeping an eye on things from the inside, we need a couple of teams to watch things from a distance. So, we have DS Stevie Moss and DC Terry Perkins from Sun Hill, and from our colleagues at DI Lees' nick…?"

"DCs Will Fletcher and Faith Desai," concluded Jill. "Teams of uniformed officers will also be assigned from both stations."

"Max, you're still OK with all this, despite...what happened to PC Brown?" Neil asked, maintaining the charade for the benefit of those who didn't realise Millie was still alive.

"That's only made me more determined, Guv," Max replied. Stevie smiled at him sympathetically while Terry went so far as to pat him supportively on the arm.

"Right then, officers from my station can return from whence they came then," Superintendent Lees said, handing the car keys over to DI Sutcliffe.

"Mine can get back to work as well," commanded Jack.

"You ready then Guv?" Ian Sutcliffe asked Jill as everyone filed out of the room.

"Err, no, I have some things, err, to discuss with Superintendent Meadows, so I'll see you back there later."

The two DIs walked out of the room and closed the door behind them, looked at each other and shuddered.


	18. Plans

My dear friend Bernadette died yesterday at the deplorably young age of 48 from cancer. Although she hadn't watched The Bill since 2003 and wouldn't know who Max and Millie were, this is for her!

**Contact**

Max, Will and the others returned from their visit to Sun Hill without attracting too much attention from their fellow officers. No one had really noticed Max's absence over the last few days, and even though they had heard about Millie's death, few people were aware of any connection between Max and Millie. One person who did mark Max's return was DC Kirk, who straight away was on the phone to DS Wood to let him know that Max was back in the office and ready to set up.

In the meantime, Max sat at his desk and basically just made himself available for contact if the Kirk or Wood approached him. He pretended to be engrossed in reading, and he did actually refresh his memory on a few aspects of Jenson's empire, but a lot of his time was spent looking at a picture he carried of Millie. The picture had a mixed effect on Max. On one hand it was reminding him of what exactly he was fighting for, and on the other it made him feel bad for having left Millie while she was sick and might need him. What if she really did take a turn for the worse? Max reminded himself that if that were to happen he could just leave and return to her side. Provided that is, that if something went wrong, it happened before everything went down tomorrow night.

DS Wood entered the office, and Max knew it was time to play his role. He took one last look at Millie and slipped the photo away into his personal drawer, which he then locked. He picked up an innocuous case file and pretended to study it.

Wood consulted with DC Kirk and then made his way over to Max's desk. He perched himself on the edge of it and looked at Max.

"Keeping you busy?" Wood asked Max.

"You know how it is," Max replied with a shrug.

Brian Wood bent down closer to Max, "Well, if you fancy a little diversion, I have something that might interest you…"

Max put down the paper he was holding and looked up at him, "Go on…"

"It's just what I think is an important lead on a case; The Case actually - the Jenson case. Thought you might like to be in on the action. It is unofficial though, if you get what I mean."

"I think I do. But I'm not adverse to a little break from the routine, especially in regard to Jenson. For me, it's personal when it comes to him."

"So I've heard. Sorry to hear about the ex by the way. She was your ex, wasn't she?"

Max stared off into space, "Yeah, thanks for that. It was a shock. But life goes on. Anyway, now we concentrate on catching whoever shot her."

"That's the spirit," Wood slapped Max's arm as if to say 'buck up'. "Look, I'll let you know more a bit closer to the time. Just keep Tuesday night free."

"Will do," Max swiveled his chair around as Wood walked away. Wood and Kirk soon left the office. Max looked across the room and caught Will's eye. Will knew this was the signal to go and see DI Sutcliffe to let him know that Wood had made contact with Max and that the arrangement to involve Max in whatever was happening tomorrow night been made.

As it was nearly six at night, Max decided it was time to go home and get some much-needed rest before his big night tomorrow. He had spent the last few nights sleeping on a chair at Millie's bedside, and apart from it being uncomfortable, there was constant disturbance of nurses and fussing parents. He figured he needed to be at his best for his mission.

Max spend the evening at home looking over case notes and information about the people who had been identified so far as being Jenson contacts. From what he could see neither Wood nor Kirk were major players in the operation. Despite his incarceration it appeared the Bill Palmer still held a pretty tight grip on the organisational aspects of the crime syndicate. But it didn't appear that he was Mr. Big. And all the evidence pointed to there being a very definite successor to Jenson's post as supreme ruler. The as yet unanswered question was who the new head could be…

Max's phone beeped at him, and he looked to see that he had received a text. It was from Wood. It said, 'Will b cnr Canning & Bent sts 12 midnight 2moro. C U there'. Max forwarded the information on to DI Sutcliffe. Soon he received a message in return from Sutcliffe saying they would meet with the Super and other involved officers some time tomorrow. He would be sending Wood and Kirk out around 1100hrs, so it would probably be around then.

_So_, Max thought, _the stage is set_. He contemplated making one last call to Millie, but saw that it was already 11pm, so she would probably be asleep. He found himself yawning, and decided it was time for him to get that sleep. He could always get up early and ring Millie and read more about the case in the morning.

**Max's Women**

Millie was starting to get bored sitting in her hospital bed now that Max was gone. She missed him, and apart from that she was feeling better and wanted to get up and do things. She was sick of reading, sick of taking regular naps, sick of having her pillows fluffed up, and sick of parents, doctors and nurses fussing around her all day. And since the Met had pronounced her dead, she didn't even have visitors to break the monotony. She enjoyed chatting to Roger, Leon, Nate and Jo, who were her trusted guards, but they were there to work and couldn't afford her that much of their time or attention.

Millie angrily flicked through the pages of the new magazine her mother had bought her. "Bored, bored, bored, bored…" she said as she turned every page within the space of a couple of minutes. She threw the magazine beside her on the bed and closed her eyes.

Mrs. Carter was sitting by the window and watching Millie's behaviour with concern. She laid her knitting on her lap and rubbed her eyes with her fingers. She knew that she and Millie were both edgy for the same reason; they were both worrying about Max. She decided she should go over and talk to Millie and see if she could make her feel any better. She got herself up stiffly. All of those nights and days sitting in those hospital chairs were taking their toll on her aging joints. She limped her way over to the equally uncomfortable chair that was placed at Millie's bedside.

Millie opened her eyes and looked at Max's mother. Despite the fact Mrs. Carter could be annoying, Millie couldn't help but be grateful for all she had been doing for Millie during her convalescence. She reached out and put her hand on Mrs. Carter's own work-worn one, and gave her a very weak smile.

Mrs. Carter squeezed Millie's hand in return. "What's the matter darling?" she asked. "You worrying about our Max?"

"No, yes, well, I know he can take care of himself," said Millie, who was trying to give the impression that police work wasn't as risky as Mrs. Carter thought, while at the same time trying to prove herself a caring partner. "I think I'm just over being sick."

"Of course you are darling. And that's a good sign because it shows you are on the mend. And soon you will be coming home, and it will be Christmas and we'll have a big, happy, family day, surrounded by nephew and nieces. I think children make Christmas, don't you?" Mrs. Carter encouraged Millie with a raised eyebrow and a nod.

The issue of children was still a bit of a sensitive one in light of her recent fears, so Millie did her best to keep a blank expression. This concerned Mrs. Carter still further.

"You do want children, don't you Millie dear? You want children with my Max?"

A tear escaped down Millie's cheek. She would never tell anyone but Max that she had recently thought she was pregnant, but she could get another fear out into the open.

"Yes, I do want children. But I'm not sure that Max does."

The eyebrows so recently raised by Mrs. Carter fell immediately on hearing Millie's words. "What? Has he said this to you?" Max not wanting children had never before occurred to Mrs. Carter.

Millie replied, "No, not in so many words. But he has made it clear that he is afraid if we do have kids it will be the end of his importance to me. He's afraid he'll be forgotten."

Mrs. Carter clicked her tongue. "Where on earth would he get such a silly idea?" she implored of the heavens. She impressed Millie with the extent of her complete lack of self awareness.

Millie spoke timidly, "Well, I get the impression he seems to think it's the way your relationship with his father works." Millie shrunk back and waited for the reaction.

"Bah!" said Mrs. Carter dismissively. "That boy can be so blind sometimes. Let me tell you darling, my children are very, very dear to me, but so is my husband! We may not be holding hands and kissing like you and Max do, but we have been together for over forty years! We don't need to do those things to show we love each other. And no one is with us all the time. No one knows how we relate to each other when we are alone. You and Max would be surprised!"

_And possibly nauseated_, Millie thought trying to suppress the picture that was forming in her mind. Luckily for her, however, no matter what her imagination was trying to conjure up, it was simply unable to squeeze Mrs. Carter's matronly form into Millie's new green corset. Now if she could only get it to kill that image of Max's father…

"Maybe I will have to say something along those lines to him then, when he returns," said Millie. _After all_, she thought, _why should I be the only one living out that horror in my head._

Mrs. Carter held Millie's hand tight. "Max told me he had pushed you away just before you were shot. But he only did that because he was afraid, darling. He loves you so much."

"Well," said Millie, "maybe pushing me away then was the right thing for him to do. Maybe it was what I needed to get it through my thick skull how much he does love me. And how much I love him."

Mrs. Carter was trying to hide her excitement now. "Millie, do you think a wedding might be on the cards?"

Millie really didn't know how to answer that one. "I don't know. I don't know what Max thinks about that…"

"But if he asked you, what would you say?" Mrs. Carter asked with hope, remembering that Max had requested her mother's ring to give to Millie.

Millie didn't know if it was fair to tell Mrs. Carter her intentions before she'd shared them with Max. But then Max had never expressed his intentions, so it didn't matter.

"I would say 'yes', I think," said Millie, whose cheeks started to flush slightly.

Mrs. Carter beamed and hugged her 'daughter-in-law'. "Well darling, all we can do is wait and see what happens then," she said as she held her. "...see what happens when Max returns."

A tear splashed out of Mrs. Carter's eye and onto Millie's shoulder, as both women became serious again. Neither of them wanted to say out loud that they hoped it was a case of 'when' Max returned, rather than 'if'. But it was what they were both thinking.


	19. The Rendezvous

**A Brief Briefing**

Kirk and Wood left the station at about 1030hrs the following morning, giving Max and the rest of the team the opportunity to work out a strategy as to how to handle things tonight. Present at the briefing were the Super, DI Sutcliffe, Inspector Jones, Will, Faith, PC Mollie Bryan and a few members of the uniform team as yet unknown to Max.

"One thing puzzles me," said Faith. 'Why do they want to meet you so many hours before the 0500hrs shipment delivery?"

Will offered the first suggestion. "Maybe they want to debrief him first?"

"Or maybe they want to make sure he's well and truly out of the way before everything happens," said the Super. "This is my biggest fear. No matter how many wires we have on you, or how quickly we can get to you if you call us, we can't easily get between you and a bullet."

"Are you sure you're up to this Max?" said Ian Sutcliffe, giving him one more chance to pull out of the operation.

"I am," said Max. "I'm not especially worried. I think Wood and Kirk are a bit power crazy. I don't think they're as smart as they think they are, or as careful."

"OK, so Max will be meeting DS Wood and DC Kirk at midnight tonight. Luckily they've chosen a relatively busy street on which to meet. DS Moss and DC Perkins from Sun Hill will be parked in the street to keep an eye on things. Neither of them are known Wood or Kirk. Will, Faith, we'll park you a few streets away to be readily in reach if needed."

"Guv," replied Will. Faith nodded.

"We'll have a few Uniform officers in civies in the area too, mainly ones from Sun Hill so they're not so recognisable. Our Uniform officers will be on stand by, along with CO19 in case anything kicks off. Now, Max, are you comfortable with all this?"

"Yes Ma'am." Max's attitude was casual. When it came to what he considered an important case, safety wasn't often something that he saw as a priority.

**Meet on the Ledge**

On the dot of midnight, Max Carter stood on the corner of Canning and Bent Streets, as he had arranged with Brian Wood. Soon Wood, Kirk and a third man appeared some distance down Canning Street and made their way towards him. As they got closer, Max realised he'd seen the third man before. It had been outside his own house, and this man had been hassling Millie. It was DS Matt Cooper. Max felt his hand make an involuntary fist, which he slowly psyched himself into relaxing as he told himself to wait to discover what else Matt was guilty of besides the attempted murder of Millie before seeking his revenge.

Max watched as the men approached, and he saw the look on Cooper's face when he in turn recognised Max. As Kirk and Wood greeted Max, Cooper and Max eyed each other suspiciously. Cooper interrupted as Wood tried to introduce him to Max.

"Yeah, we've met. I was surprised to see DS Carter recently outside the house of his so-called ex-girlfriend's place the other night. I don't know if I trust a man who's not open about his personal life. Why keep your relationship with Millie a secret?"

Seeing as Max had told Wood only the day before that he and Millie were no longer together, Wood started to get defensive as well.

Max stayed calm, "It's nothing sinister, mate. I haven't told any lies. Millie and I aren't together, but seeing as I'd transferred I was letting her live at the house I own for a while, while I got a flat near here. Is that so strange?"

"Why were you there that night then?" asked Matt.

Max coughed, "Well, we may have not had any commitment to each other, but every now and again we still liked to, you know, get together…"

Matt gave Max a knowing slap on the back, "I understand, mate. She does give the impression of being a bit of a goer. It would be hard to give that up easily."

Max felt that fist forming again, but instead he smiled.

"Anyway," continued Matt, "Sorry to hear about her getting shot. We at Sun Hill are all determined to bring her killer to justice, but unfortunately there are no leads as yet."

"The killer was apparently a real cunning bastard," agreed Max. "But cunning bastards often have big egos and his will trip him up yet, I guarantee it."

"Too right," replied Matt with a smirk, blissfully ignorant of the fact that he was presently the embodiment of Max's last statement.

"Getting back to business," said Wood, attempting to reign in the other two DSs. "We are all here for one reason, and that is to follow up a lead that may finally, um, lay Curtis Jenson to rest." Wood was proud of the way he put this, and silently enjoying the thought he was putting one over on Max.

"Right," agreed Matt, catching Wood's eye and sharing his pleasure in fooling Max. "So what does your snout say?"

"Apparently it's all going down at the warehouse at the Malin Estate at 0500 hrs tonight. This could be the biggest catch of our careers boys. Apparently an enormous shipment is being delivered there then," replied Kirk.

"A shipment of what exactly?" asked Max. "Jenson had his finger in many pies."

The other men looked at each other, wondering how much they should let Max know. Wood shrugged and continued. Max would soon be dead anyway. "It's the usual Jenson combination. I thought you'd know what that would be, having worked on the case before. Anyway, it's from his Asian importer, so it's heroin interspersed with a few of Jenson's favourite things, you know, antiques, wood carvings, the type our customs guys like to stop being imported."

"Ah, the usual," nodded Max.

"So will we regroup at 0400hrs at the Malin Estate? There we can get ourselves prime position to observe the set up, then call for back up at the appropriate time."

"Stupid question," said Max apologetically, "Why are we not calling for back up prior to that?"

Wood smiled tolerantly at Max. Really, he had so much to learn. "Two reasons mate. Firstly, we want as much kudos as we can get for this, and secondly I'm not 100% confident about the reliability of my snout. I mean, he's pretty good, but I could do without the humiliation of getting the Super to organise CO19 and everything and then find he was making it all up, you know what I mean?"

"Sure," said Max.

"OK that's it for the moment then?" said Kirk, apparently eager to be on the move.

"Right, then," said Max. He figured he should be the one to leave first, as he wanted to give these guys a chance to talk amongst themselves. "I'll see you in a few hours."

"See you Max," said Matt, and the other waved him off.

Max strode over to his car and drove away. He hoped they didn't wander too far out of the range of the listening device that had been planted on the lamp post on the street corner where they had just held their meeting. Luckily, they didn't.

"So," continued Matt after Max had driven off, "Just how stupid is that guy exactly?"

"I know!" responded Kirk. "Would you arrange to meet three strangers unofficially in a deserted warehouse in the middle of the night? For the kudos, for christsake! That was a good one, by the way, Brian!"

Wood smiled, "I thought it would appeal to someone like Carter. So Matt, you've requested that you be able to do the honours. How exactly do you plan to do away with Carter?"

Matt Cooper grinned, "My plan is to make it look like an accident. You know that suspended walk way crossing over the main storeroom at warehouse? I persuade Carter that we can get the clearest view of what's happening from up there. Then it's simply a matter of him accidentally missing his step and tumbling down, splat, to the concrete floor below."

"Nice," said Kirk, "Your second murder in the space of a week, and the second time you'll get away scott free."

DS Stevie Moss and DC Terry Perkins, who were parked nearby listening to the conversation via the device planted in lamp post, looked up as the back of their van slid open and DS Max Carter jumped in. They were able to fill him in on the game plan before he left the van and drove to liaise with DI Sutcliffe one more time before his meeting took place.

Will Fletcher and Faith Desai started up their car when they saw the three renegade officers leave their meeting place and make their way to an all night café, from which they didn't move until it was nearly time for their meeting with Max. Faith and Will were both known to Wood and Kirk, so when the three men left the café Will decided the best way to obscure their identities was to jump on Faith and give her a big, passionate kiss. He was very surprised at how enthusiastically Faith embraced his idea...

**

* * *

  
**

Just before 0400hrs, Max drove his car to the assigned meeting place. He noticed that at various points along the route there were cars parked, people loitering and the odd van, all of which were evidence of his fellow officers and CO19 being positioned at the ready to storm the warehouse to which he was headed. All he needed to do was utter the agreed code word.

When he arrived the other three officers were already there. He walked up to them.

"Anything happening yet?" he asked.

"No," replied Wood. "We still have plenty of time to get ourselves into the best positions. Paul and I will take the entrance to the warehouse, Matt, Max, you two can take the back."

"No, wait, I have a better idea. Max, you're not afraid of heights are you?" asked Matt.

"No. Why?"

"There's a railed walk way that runs across the ceiling of the warehouse. We'd get a perfect view from there. We can leave these two to make the arrest. What do you say?"

"Sure, suits me," replied Max coolly. He was sure he had seen the outline of a couple of figures moving silently through the darkness to the back of the warehouse. This must be the uniform patrols that had been organised.

More arrangements were discussed and at about 0430hrs the four men made their way into the warehouse. Wood and Kirk stayed at the front of the building, while Max and Cooper walked to a side entrance, from which the stairs climbing to the walk way started.

Max's senses were sharp. He was anticipating Matt's every more, expecting each one to the one in which Matt struck at him and knocked him backwards to certain death. But Matt just kept quietly climbing the metal staircase without even a glance back at Max. Max thought perhaps Matt would swing his boot into his face, so he kept at least two steps behind him. They climbed higher and higher. Max looked down at the gaping distance between them and the floor. _One false move_, he thought to himself, _and I never see Millie again._

At that moment, as they reached the centre of the building where their path intersected a second walkway, Max squinted into the distance to see a figure that he could have sworn was Millie standing at the beginning of the other walkway. He dismissed it as an illusion, or would have had not Matt stopped in his tracks and started staring in disbelief in the same direction.

Max heard Matt utter the words, "But… but I killed you myself!" in sheer bewilderment.

This might have been just a minor setback had not Matt's confusion caused him to miss his footing, making him stumble back a step or two, dislodging Max in the process. And thus both men were knocked sideways off the railing and, as if in slow motion, they fell freely through the air. Max calculated that the fall was the equivalent of several storeys. And there was nothing beneath them but the solid concrete floor.


	20. For Whom The Bill Tolls

For those who know their Donne, or even Hemingway...This title is made up by Mr Feebee, who has been nagging me to use it throughout the story. His ultimatum was: use it or write another sausage scene! So for the sake of domestic harmony, and because I think his pun is rather clever…

**For Whom The Bill Tolls…**

Max managed to catch hold of the metal flooring of the walkway, then swing his leg up. He was suddenly very thankful he'd done all those chin-ups at the gym over the years. In the split second following this he grabbed madly to try to stop Matt's fall, which he succeeded in doing by catching him by the collar. But that was never going to be enough to support Matt's weight. Matt and Max took one final look at each other as the sound of tearing fabric signaled the countdown to the end of Matt's life. Max cursed his inability to prevent the fall, then pulled himself fully back onto the walkway and closed his eyes as he heard the sickening thud and splatter of Matt hitting the floor.

Matt dying had never been part of Max's plan. He had two deaths already on his conscience and was hoping that that was his lifetime quota. But he reasoned with himself that he had done his best to save Matt. And anyway, the time for regret was later, once this case was closed. He looked over at the still visible red haired figure who stood at the beginning of the other pathway. PC Mollie Bryan's similarity to Millie had once again had unpredicted consequences. If only Mollie had been better at hiding.

Kirk and Wood heard the commotion, but as the manner of Matt's death had been the same as that prescribed for Max, they didn't investigate. All they could see was one body on the floor and another still safely in the rafters. Max took out his phone and sent the signal to DI Sutcliffe.

Kirk and Wood started to wonder why Matt wasn't making his way down to join them.

Poor Matt's body lay there unattended as trucks rolled in and Jenson's crew rushed around checking, unloading, sorting, paying, reloading etc. The only notice anyone took of him was avoiding stepping in the mess he had left on the floor. Still watching from above, Max shook his head and thought to himself that being one of Jenson's men didn't really gain you much in the end. At least he felt sure his own passing would be more than just an inconvenience to people who knew him.

Max made his way from the centre of the walkway back to ground level, as the sound of sirens and stamping feet and cars started to rumble throughout the warehouse. Max watched as Will and Faith snapped cuffs onto Kirk and Wood. Other arrests were made. People were bundled into vans and contraband was seized. Max walked into the centre of it all and looked at Matt's mangled body. He wanted to believe that Matt deserved this for trying to kill Millie, but somehow he just couldn't convince himself that anyone could ever earn such an ignoble and clumsy death.

**Aftermath**

As the dawn rose that Wednesday morning the warehouse at the Malin Estate was still overrun with police officers, crime scene examiners and those tasked with the grim job of dealing with DS Matt Cooper's messy remains. A tired Max was still discussing what had happened with Superintendent Lees and DI Sutcliffe, when the familiar forms of DI Manson and DC Dasari approached them. Max was especially pleased to see Grace when he realised she was handing him a much-needed cup of coffee.

DI Manson held out his hand to Max, who shook it. "Well done, DS Carter," he said, "It looks like the arrests that have been made and the information we are now getting as a consequence just about well and truly dismantles the empire of the late Curtis Jenson."

"It's been a long time coming, Sir," said Max as he gratefully warmed his hands on the coffee cup from which he was sipping.

"I suppose you've told your side of things to the Super and DI Sutcliffe here already?" asked Neil.

"Just about."

"Well, if they're finished with you, I think there's someone you might like to go visit at St Hugh's. Or two someones in fact," said Neil, remembering the formidable Mrs. Carter.

Jill Lees smiled and gave Max a congratulatory tap on the back, "Off you go Max, we'll talk more later. And then I suppose we'll have to arrange a transfer for you back to Sun Hill. I hear there's a vacant DS's position there."

Max couldn't raise a smile at the Super's light-heartedness. Matt Cooper's death was still far too fresh to him.

"Grace," said Neil, "Can you take Max to the hospital?"

"Sure," said Grace, linking her arm with Max's in an uncharacteristically friendly gesture as she led him to the car.

Grace was a good travelling companion, thought Max, because she didn't try and make him talk. He was able to stare out the window at the awakening city, watching as people left their homes for work, or sat reading their papers or stood trying to remain upright on crowded trains and buses. He saw the office girls hurrying along in their big coats and trainers. He thought how the majority of these people didn't face the life and death situations he and Millie did in their line of work. Within the space of a week, both of them had come so close to losing their lives. Thankfully, neither of them had, and here he was about to see her again. But it played on his mind that once again he had come so close to losing her.

Grace pulled up outside the hospital. "I'll park the car, then I need to speak to Jo and Roger. So I'll see you shortly," she said.

Max caught the lift up to Millie's floor, walked down the hallway and greeted Jo and Roger who stood guard at her door. They were both pleased to see him, as they guessed that meant that his mission had been successful. They stood back and let him enter Millie's room.

Millie lay in her bed, still sleeping. Max thought that perhaps she had fewer leads attached to her than the last time he saw her. There was no sign of his mother or her parents, thank goodness. He crept into the room and sat on the edge of her bed. She moved slightly, but didn't wake. He studied her face as she lay there sleeping. God, she was precious to him! He thought about how she had been worried about the scar from the bullet wound and how it might make her less attractive. It dawned at him she could have so many wounds shot into her that she resembled a sieve, and he would still want and love her.

He picked up her hand and stroked it. Her eyes opened. He watched her face light up as she realised that he had returned, and that he was safe. She reached out and put her arms around him and held him as tightly as he held her in return.

"Mission accomplished?" she asked.

"Mission accomplished," he replied. "Matt Cooper fell to his death though. But seeing as he did it trying to kill me, I hope you won't be quite so upset."

"Well, it saves me having to choose between you," Millie said, putting a finger on the end of Max's nose.

Max pulled her arms off him and pouted. "Here I was, sitting here gazing adoringly at you while you slept, thinking how much I love you, and you say these things to me! I'm outraged!"

"You could always make yourself feel better by running off with my so-callled double…Mollie, isn't it?"

"You know, it was her that killed Matt in a way. He and I both saw her while we were climbing the stairs and we both thought she was you. His last words were a confession that he shot you."

"Well, quite frankly I'm grateful to our respective doppelgangers then for taking the fall for us this time, so that we can both still be here, together," said Millie, pulling Max close to her again.

"I don't ever want to run the risk of losing you again," said Max, as he held her. "Marry me, Millie."

Millie was startled, and pushed Max back to look at his face. "What? Where did that come from?"

Max was slightly hurt. "Seeing as you ask, it came from the bottom of my heart. I love you and I intend to keep you. I think we should get married. But if you don't want to…"

"Oh, Max, yes, yes, of course I do! You just surprised me, that's all. So will it be a big church wedding?"

Max held her and smiled to himself over the top of her head. She had said yes. Then what she had said registered. "Huh? I don't know. Is that what you want? You can have whatever you like. But quite frankly, I'd rather sneak off to a registry office and tell people about it after the event."

Millie got excited. "Would you? Excellent! That's exactly what I want to do. So when can we do it?"

Max looked back at her, "How long does it take to get a licence?"

Millie poked his chest, "Hmm, there's some homework for you then," she said.

They heard footsteps and the sound of Mrs. Carter's exclamation at the news that her son had returned.

"But it's our little secret," whispered Millie, as they footsteps approached the door.

"Too right," agreed Max with a twinkle in his eye, as he rose to meet the waiting arms of his relieved mother.

Mrs. Carter buried her tear-stained face into her son's chest. "My darling boy," she muttered as she embraced him, "Thank God you have come back to us safe."

"I'm glad to be here, Ma," Max replied kissing the top of her head.

"So," Mrs. Carter releasing him enough to look him up and down and make sure he wasn't hiding any injuries, "Has Millie told you her good news?"

"No," said Max looking over to his new fiancée. "What news is this?"

Mrs. Carter answered for Millie, "The doctor says she can go home tomorrow. So she'll be back with us for Christmas!"

"That is good news," said Max, keeping one arm around his mother while reaching out for Millie's hand. "I couldn't stand many more nights sleeping in that chair."

"You could always go home to sleep," suggested Millie.

"No, I can't bear to be parted from you again," said Max, and they could see he really meant it.

Mrs. Carter's face lit up. "Well, then maybe it's time you thought of making an honest woman out of her, rather than living in sin?"

Max smiled at Millie and patted his mother on the head. "You never know Ma, maybe I will. But we haven't even been together a year yet. Give us a year or two more…"

Mrs. Carter slapped him. "At your age, son, there's hardly time to try before you buy, if you'll forgive the expression Millie."

"What he's saying does make sense, in this day and age," Millie decided to help Max torment his mother.

"Bah, I give up. You two deserve each other. I'm going to get us all some food." Mrs. Carter threw her hands in the air and walked out.

Max put both his arms around Millie and they stayed holding each other for quite some time. They knew they belonged together, with or without having a certificate to prove it.


	21. Endings and Beginnings

**This is the final chapter. Thanks for your attention!**

**Beginnings and Endings**

"So let me get this straight," Millie said to Max, "Will's new girlfriend is Faith, and she is the…?"

"Grace equivalent…" said Max.

"…the Grace equivalent at that station," concluded Millie, trying to get it all clear in her head. "So, the Neil equivalent…"

"Ian Sutcliffe…"

"Right, who's he on with then?"

"Um, he's apparently on with Mollie Bryan…"

"Mollie? The Me equivalent?"

"Yeah, she was very distressed when she found out seeing her had made Matt to fall to his death, and the DI comforted her and, well, the rest is history!"

"No, that's not right! As much as I like Neil Manson, I can't see myself and him… you know."

"I'm very happy to hear that," said Max, snuggling against Millie under the covers of their bed. "Of course, her other option would have been Matt Cooper…"

"Ah, the Max equivalent. Yes, I could see that happening…"

"Slut!" retorted Max, slapping her playfully. "Bet you wish it had been me that had fallen rather than him, so you'd be free to bring him here and fuck him in our bed!"

"Hey, no slapping! I'm still delicate, remember! And of course I wouldn't fuck him in our bed. The bench in the kitchen is the obvious first choice…"

"The very bench I made you dinner on tonight, you one-armed harlot!"

"OK, in the first place, I still have 2 arms, one just isn't too reliable at the moment, and secondly, I meant for Mollie Bryan, not for me! I'm very happy with the Real McCoy Max Carter."

Max pulled Millie's naked form against his own, trying to avoid putting pressure against the still-bandaged area of her right shoulder. He nibbled at her ear, then whispered into it.

"Prove it!" he dared her…

Some time later the two lovers lay together sated and content in each other's arms. Then Max glanced at the clock. He peeled Millie's arms and legs off him and got out of bed. He made his way over to his sock drawer, took something out and returned to the bed with it hidden behind his back.

He climbed back under the covers and an almost fearful look came over his face.

"Firstly, Merry Christmas Millie," he said. Millie looked at the clock and saw that it was indeed after midnight.

"Merry Christmas my love," replied Millie moving to kiss him.

He halted her movement. He apparently hadn't finished yet.

He handed her the little box. "This is for you," he said. He lay back on his pillows to watch her reaction.

Millie looked at the box, then looked up at him with a quizzical expression. She unwrapped the package and saw an exquisite little antique box with a gold catch. She nervously undid the catch and opened the box. In it was gold ring, with a sizable pearl and two smaller diamonds either side of it. From its Edwardian styling, she guessed it would be near a hundred years old. The light caught the milky gleam of the pearl and the sparkle of the diamond.

"Oh Max," she said, keeping her eyes on the ring, "It's beautiful! Where did you…?"

"It was my grandmother's, well my great-grandmother's first I think. You like it then?"

"Oh yes," Millie slid it on her finger and kissed him. She held out her hand and admired the look of its lustre on her finger.

"It's yours," Max said. "now you're becoming a member of the family." He kissed her.

"So do I wear it to Christmas dinner then as a sign of our engagement? I thought that was going to be our secret."

"It still can be. Mum knows I was giving the ring to you. We'll just make it clear we'd buy you a new ring if we were getting an engagement ring."

Millie lunged forward on top of Max excitedly. "Oooo, two new pieces of jewellery! Is it any wonder I love you?" She covered his face with kisses.

"You are so shallow!" Max rebuffed. "I always thought you loved me for my sexual prowess! It's the main reason I love you!"

"Is it now?" asked Millie.

"That and the fact you're currently weakened and defenseless against my advances," Max flipped them over so he was now on top on Millie. "And this time, my mother's not here to defend you…"

Max grabbed the quilt and pulled it over both their heads, Millie's muffled screams and giggles could be heard from under the blankets. What was actually happening is something only known to the two lovers, but let's just say they turned up to Christmas dinner looking like they hadn't had a lot of sleep…

**The Wedding**

A couple of weeks later, a nervous looking Millie stood outside the registry office getting agitated. She was greatly relieved when she saw her soon-to-be husband walking up to her. In his arms he carried a simple bouquet of roses. He handed then to her with a kiss.

"Max, they're lovely," Millie said burying her nose in them.

'Well, I decided a bride needs flowers, even if she's forgoing the white dress and veil. And the reception. And the bridesmaids. And the wedding ring."

"What? You didn't forget the ring did you? Oh, no, what are we going to do…"

Max grabbed Millie to stop her anxious pacing, "Sorry, it was a joke! A bad one, I know…"

Millie was angry, "Almost bad enough to make me leave you at the altar! If you hadn't brought flowers, I'd…"

"Well, at least I know now that if I change my mind you won't be hard to get rid of. Where are Will and Faith? I suppose it's early yet. Do you want to grab a coffee? We can just get a take away and come back here."

"OK," agreed Millie, and the two of them strolled arm in arm to a near by café. They returned and sat in a bus shelter out of the cold. The winter's day was icy and Millie wore gloves, hat, a scarf and boots. She looked in disbelief at Max who was as usual not feeling the cold and simply had a coat over his usual sweater and trousers. She pulled at his lapel to see what he was wearing underneath his coat. She rolled her eyes.

"Does a week ever go by when you don't wear that blue sweater?" she asked incredulously. Though she had to admit she did like the way it showed off his chest and shoulders.

"Hey, every penny I've earned has gone on getting jewellery for you recently, so I wouldn't complain if I were you. I can't afford to buy things for myself any more, I'm an almost married man! I have to think about the family I'm about to have!"

Millie took a sip of her coffee and it occurred to her that he had given her a perfect opportunity to raise a certain topic with him.

"Speaking of family," she said, "what are your views on having one?"

Max stared into space for a moment. "Well, I want us to, don't you?"

"Yes I do. But I didn't know what you thought. Last I heard you were afraid it would make me forget about you."

Max slipped an arm around Millie's waist. "Well, I've decided I'm not going to let you forget about me – ever! I refuse to be pushed into second place."

Millie looked up at him. "So when do we start?"

Max looked at his watch, "What say we get this ceremony out of the way, then we go home and get at it?"

Millie was looking for a straight answer. "So you'd want to start immediately?"

Max realised she was serious, "Well, I would like to have kids before I'm forty, and that's not so far away now. Besides," he added with a twinkle in his eye, "we want to do it while our parents are all young enough to exploit for babysitting purposes!"

Millie slapped his thigh with the back of her hand. "Right then, we have a plan. We'll give it a month so I can start taking folate etc and then…"

"And then, no more condoms!" said Max, a big grin spreading across his face.

"What are you so happy about?" came a voice from behind them. The two witnesses to their nuptials, Will and his new girlfriend Faith, had arrived. "Whatever happened to pre-wedding jitters? You're supposed to be slinking off and sleeping with a waitress or something at this point in time! You know, your last bid for freedom!"

"I liked you much better when you were my friend, rather than Max's!" said Millie who apparently didn't just reserve her hitting skills for Max.

"Anyway, I think it's time," said Max, grabbing the hand of his bride to be and pulling her to her feet. "But I want one last kiss before you're a married woman." He kissed Millie and held out his hand, beckoning her to follow.

The four of them made their way through the doors of the registry office. The ceremony was performed and Max and Millie became husband and wife.

And they all lived happily ever after...

...or did they…?

(to be continued)


End file.
